reticent

(rĕt'ĭ-sənt)
adj.

1. Inclined to keep one's thoughts, feelings, and personal affairs to oneself. See synonyms at silent.
2. Restrained or reserved in style.
3. Reluctant; unwilling.

[Latin reticēns, reticent-, present participle of reticēre, to keep silent : re-, re- + tacēre, to be silent.]

reticently ret'i·cent·ly adv.

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is developing the meaning 'reluctant to act', which is somewhat more developed than its standard meaning 'reserved, reluctant to speak':

At first, I was reticent about doing nudity—film website, American English 2003.

This meaning has become so well established, that few are aware of any development in usage.

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adjective

1. Not speaking freely or openly: close, close-mouthed, incommunicable, incommunicative, reserved, silent, taciturn, tightlipped, uncommunicable, uncommunicative. See restraint/unrestraint, sounds/pleasant sounds/unpleasant sounds/neutral sounds or silence.
2. Not friendly, sociable, or warm in manner: aloof, chill, chilly, cool, distant, offish, remote, reserved, solitary, standoffish, unapproachable, uncommunicative, undemonstrative, withdrawn. See attitude/good attitude/bad attitude/neutral attitude, hot/cold/lukewarm.

adj

Definition: secretive, quiet
Antonyms: communicative, expansive, forward, unrestrained

IN BRIEF: Reserved; quiet. Also: Not saying much, especially about one's thoughts.

The student was reticent to express his opinions and ideas in class discussions.

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For a list of words related to reticent, see:

• Introverted, Reserved, Isolated, or Mysterious
• Calm, Gentle, or Easygoing

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See words rhyming with "reticent."

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - ordknap, tavs, forbeholden

Nederlands (Dutch)
gesloten

Français (French)
adj. - réticent, réservé

Deutsch (German)
adj. - zurückhaltend

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - επιφυλακτικός, συγκρατημένος, λιγόλογος, λιγομίλητος, σιωπηλός

Italiano (Italian)
reticente

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - reticente, discreto

Русский (Russian)
сдержанный, немногословный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - reservado, reticente

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - tystlåten, förbehållsam, diskret

中文（简体）(Chinese (Simplified))
无言的, 谨慎的, 沉默的, 抑制的

中文（繁體）(Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 無言的, 謹慎的, 沈默的, 抑制的

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 과묵한, 말이 적은, 삼가는

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 寡黙な, 無口な, 控えめな, 遠慮がちな

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) متكتم, قليل الكلام‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮מאופק בדיבור, ממעט בדיבור, שתקן‬

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