Definify.com

Webster 1913 Edition


Tight

Tight

(tīt)
,
obs.
p.
p.
of
Tie
.
Spenser.

Tight

,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Tighter
(tīt′ẽr)
;
sup
erl.
Tightest
.]
[OE.
tight
,
thiht
; probably of Scand. origin; cf. Icel.
þēttr
, Dan.
tæt
, Sw.
tät
: akin to D. & G.
dicht
thick, tight, and perhaps to E.
thee
to thrive, or to
thick
. Cf.
Taut
.]
1.
Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open;
as,
tight
cloth; a
tight
knot.
2.
Close, so as not to admit the passage of a liquid or other fluid; not leaky;
as, a
tight
ship; a
tight
cask; a
tight
room
; – often used in this sense as the second member of a compound;
as, water-
tight
; air-
tight
.
3.
Fitting close, or too close, to the body;
as, a
tight
coat or other garment
.
4.
Not ragged; whole; neat; tidy.
Clad very plain, but clean and
tight
.
Evelyn.
I’ll spin and card, and keep our children
tight
.
Gay.
5.
Close; parsimonious; saving;
as, a man
tight
in his dealings
.
[Colloq.]
6.
Not slack or loose; firmly stretched; taut; – applied to a rope, chain, or the like, extended or stretched out.
7.
Handy; adroit; brisk.
[Obs.]
Shak.
8.
Somewhat intoxicated; tipsy.
[Slang]
9.
(Com.)
Pressing; stringent; not easy; firmly held; dear; – said of money or the money market. Cf.
Easy
, 7.

Tight

,
Verb.
T.
To tighten.
[Obs.]

Webster 1828 Edition


Tight

TIGHT

,
Adj.
[L. taceo; that is, close, closely compressed.]
1.
Close; compact; not loose or open; having the joints so close that no fluid can enter or escape; not leaky; as a tight ship, or a tight cask.
2.
Close; not admitting much air; as a tight room.
3.
Sitting close to the body; as a tight coat or other garment.
4.
Close; not having holes or crevices; not loose; applied to many vessels, &c.
5.
Close; hard; as a tight bargain. [In common use in America.]
6.
Close; parsimonious; saving; as a man tight in his dealings. [In common use in America.]
7.
Closely dressed; not ragged.
I'll spin and card, and keep our children tight.
8.
Hardy; adroit.
[Note. This is the taugt or taught of seamen, applied to a rope stretched. The primary sense is strained.]

Definition 2024


tight

tight

English

Adjective

tight (comparative tighter, superlative tightest)

  1. Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.
    tight cloth; a tight knot
    1. Unyielding or firm
      tight control on a situation
    2. Under high tension.
      Make sure to pull the rope tight.
      • 1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 17, in The China Governess:
        The face which emerged was not reassuring. It was blunt and grey, the nose springing thick and flat from high on the frontal bone of the forehead, whilst his eyes were narrow slits of dark in a tight bandage of tissue. […].
      • 2011 November 10, Jeremy Wilson, England Under 21 5 Iceland Under 21 0: match report”, in Telegraph:
        The only negative from a comfortable first-half was the sight of Aston Villa’s Nathan Delfouneso being withdrawn with a tight hamstring after only 11 minutes.
    3. (colloquial) Scarce, hard to come by.
      I grew up in a poor neighborhood; money was very tight, but we made do.
    4. (colloquial, figuratively) Intimately friendly.
      We've grown tighter over the years.
    5. (slang, figuratively, usually derogatory) Miserly or frugal.
      He's a bit tight with his money.
  2. (of a space, design or arrangement) Narrow, such that it is difficult for something or someone to pass through it.
    The passageway was so tight we could barely get through.
    They flew in a tight formation.
    1. Fitting close, or too close, to the body.
      a tight coat; My socks are too tight.
    2. Of a turn, sharp, so that the timeframe for making it is narrow and following it is difficult.
      The mountain pass was made dangerous by its many tight corners.
    3. Lacking holes; difficult to penetrate; waterproof.
      • 1965, MotorBoating, page 145
        He reported the hull was tight and secure and did not leak a drop.
      • 2014, Ian Black, "Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis", The Guardian, 27 November:
        Security is tight inside and outside the building, guarded by a bewildering collection of soldiers, policemen and gendarmes. Relatives watch as prisoners in handcuffs and leg irons shuffle past.
  3. Well-rehearsed and accurate in execution.
    Their marching band is extremely tight.
    1. (sports) Not conceding many goals.
  4. (slang) Intoxicated; drunk or acting like being drunk.
    We went drinking and got tight.
    • 2001, Gaelic Storm, Johnny Tarr (on the album Tree):
      Johnny walked into the Castle Bar, looking to get tight.
  5. (slang) Extraordinarily great or special.
    That is one tight bicycle!
  6. (slang, British (regional)) Mean; unfair; unkind.
    • 1977, Willy Russell, Our Day Out, Act One, Scene One:
      Reilly: Ey, Miss, hang on, hang on... can we come with y', Miss? Can we?
      Digga: Go on, Miss, don't be tight, let's come.
    • 2001, Kevin Sampson, Outlaws, p.244:
      "Ah leave him, ay!" goes one of the girls. "Don't be tight." I turns to her. "Don't you think it's tight terrorising old ladies? Ay?"
    • 2011, Andrew Hicks, "Thai Girl: A story of the one who said 'no'", unnumbered page:
      "That's right ... so even when life's a grind, the Thais keep smiling. They think the farang are a miserable lot who have to get drunk to enjoy themselves."
      "Dutch, that's tight mate, I mean what's wrong with getting pissed. When you're not working, you gotta have a good time," said Darren.
  7. (obsolete) Not ragged; whole; neat; tidy.
    • John Evelyn (1620-1706)
      clad very plain, but clean and tight
    • Thomas Gray (1716-1771)
      I'll spin and card, and keep our children tight.
    • 1907, Robert W[illiam] Chambers, “chapter IX”, in The Younger Set (Project Gutenberg; EBook #14852), New York, N.Y.: A. L. Burt Company, published 1 February 2005 (Project Gutenberg version), OCLC 4241346:
      “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action. Near her wandered her husband [] from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.
  8. (obsolete) Handy; adroit; brisk.
    (Can we find and add a quotation of Shakespeare to this entry?)
  9. (poker) Of a player, who plays very few hands. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
  10. (poker) Using a strategy which involves playing very few hands. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

tight (comparative more tight, superlative most tight)

  1. Firmly, so as not to come loose easily.
    Make sure the lid is closed tight.
  2. Soundly.
    Good night, sleep tight.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

tight (third-person singular simple present tights, present participle tighting, simple past and past participle tighted)

  1. (obsolete) To tighten.

Italian

Etymology

Borrowing from English tight.

Noun

tight m (invariable)

  1. morning suit, morning dress