tight

Formstighter, tightest

Formstighter, tightest

Formstights, tighting, tighted

1. 1
   adjective

   Of things joined, fastened, or bound together: held so firmly that there is no slack, movement, or gap between the parts.

   Make sure the lid is tight before you shake the jar, or the dressing will end up all over the counter.

   Engineers checked that every bolt on the bridge was tight.

   UsageOften after pull, tie or screw, naming the result: pull your seatbelt tight.

   Similarsecure, fast

   Oppositeloose, slack

2. 2
   adjective

   Fitting closely, or too closely, against the body.

   Her jeans were so tight after the holidays that she could barely button them.

   She complained that the new boots felt tight across the toes.

   UsageOften too tight, or tight around the waist. Alone, tight can sound like a complaint; close-fitting sounds neutral.

   Similarsnug, close-fitting, fitted, clingy, form-fitting

   Oppositeloose, baggy

   Note

   Clothing shows both edges of the word. A tight coat may simply sit close to the body, but socks that are too tight pinch. The place that feels it often follows: tight around the waist, tight across the toes. Unlike a narrow passage, here the tight thing is worn.

3. 3
   restrictedadjective

   Limited or restricted in amount or extent.

   With such a tight deadline, the team worked through the weekend.

   Space in the new office is tight, so desks are shared.

   UsageMost often with deadline, budget, schedule or space: a tight deadline, space is tight.

   Similarlimited, restricted, short, constrained

   Oppositeample, generous

4. 4
   stretched (rope)adjective

   Held under high tension; stretched taut.

   The rope between the two trees was tight enough to hang the wet laundry on.

   If the drum skin isn't tight, it gives a dull thud instead of a sharp crack.

   Similartaut, tense

   Oppositeslack, loose, limp

   Note

   Beyond ropes and strings, it is the ordinary word for muscle that will not relax, like the tight hamstring that takes a footballer off. It also describes tissue drawn close, as in Margery Allingham's The China Governess (1963).

5. 5
   adverb

   Firmly, in a way that keeps something from coming loose.

   Screw the cap on tight to keep the drink from spilling.

   He shut the door and held it tight against the wind.

   UsageUsually after the verb: hold on tight (or tighter), screw the cap on tight. Before a participle, tightly is more usual: tightly packed.

   Similarfirmly, securely, fast

   Oppositeloosely

   Note

   A flat adverb, identical to the adjective, used where tightly is possible but sounds heavier: hold on tight, screw the cap on tight. It can also sit before a participle, as in Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express (1934): "I had my eyes tight shut."

6. 6
   narrowadjective

   Narrow, so that something or someone has difficulty passing through.

   The hikers squeezed through a tight gap between the boulders.

   Movers struggled to carry the sofa up the tight staircase.

   UsageOften in a tight squeeze, a space that people or things only just fit through.

   Similarnarrow, cramped, confined, constricted

   Oppositewide, roomy, spacious, broad

   Note

   Space and arrangement both count here. A passage is tight when bodies barely fit through it. Aircraft flying close together are also in a tight formation, and a football side keeps its lines tight by leaving opponents no gaps. The common thread is little room between parts, which is why the word suits a gap between boulders and a squadron alike.

7. 7
   close contestadjective

   Close, with very similar values such as scores or times.

   Polls showed a tight contest between the two candidates.

   The match stayed tight, with neither team pulling ahead.

   Similarclose, even, narrow

   Oppositelopsided, one-sided, uneven

   Note

   Sports reporting runs on this sense: a tight finish, a tight game, a tight scoreline. It measures the gap between rivals, not how many points either side scores. A tight game is often low-scoring, but it need not be. Keep it apart from the defensive sense, where a tight defense is one that concedes little, whatever the margin.

8. 8
   sharp bendadjective

   Of a turn or bend, sharp, so that there is little room and time to make it and following it is difficult.

   The go-kart track is full of tight turns that test your reflexes.

   Skiers slowed for the tight switchback near the summit.

   Similarsharp, acute, abrupt

   Oppositegentle, wide, sweeping

   Note

   Two kinds of narrowness meet in a bend: little room and little time. A tight corner on a mountain pass forces a driver to slow early and steer hard, and such corners are counted as hazards. The word describes the road, not the vehicle. Compare the stock-car sense, where the car itself is called tight. Source

   Checked 6 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

   • Drivers need to slow before entering sharp curves. pa.gov
   • Curving roads are classified as driving hazards. va.gov
9. 9
   adjectiveslang

   Having little money to spend at the moment.

   We're pretty tight this year, so the vacation will have to wait.

   He's been tight for money since losing his side job.

   UsageUsually tight for money or tight for cash, said of people: we're a bit tight this month.

   Similarshort, strapped

   Oppositeflush

   Note

   Here the tightness is in the wallet, not the person. When the money itself is the subject, as in money was tight, that is the "scarce" sense instead.

10. 10
    adjective

    Firm and unyielding, so that it does not loosen or give way, as a strong grip or strict control does.

    The new policy enforces tight discipline in the classroom.

    Officials maintained tight control of the borders.

    UsageOften tight control or tight security. To keep a tight rein on something is to control it closely.

    Similarstrict, firm, stringent, rigorous, rigid

    Oppositelax, loose, relaxed, lenient

11. 11
    close friendsadjectivecolloquialfiguratively

    Closely bonded; intimately friendly or close-knit.

    Those two have been tight since middle school, and they still talk every day.

    She and her cousin are really tight.

    UsageMostly after the verb: two people are tight, or one is tight with another.

    Similarclose, friendly, intimate, chummy, thick

    Oppositedistant, estranged

12. 12
    polishedadjective

    Well-rehearsed and precise in execution.

    The opening set was tight, every cue landing exactly on time.

    After months of rehearsal, the band sounded tight, with every horn hitting the same note at the same instant.

    Similarprecise, slick, polished, crisp, sharp

    Oppositesloppy, ragged

13. 13
    adjective

    Scarce; difficult to obtain or come by.

    Affordable housing is tight in the city center.

    With supplies tight, the store limited each customer to two cans.

    UsageUsually after the verb, of the thing in short supply: money is tight, supplies are tight.

    Similarscarce, short, scant

    Oppositeplentiful, abundant, ample

14. 14
    waterproofadjective

    Having no gaps or holes, so that water cannot pass through; waterproof.

    Once the new shingles went on, the roof was finally tight, and the attic stayed dry through the spring storms.

    The cooper tested whether each barrel was tight enough to hold liquid.

    UsageToday this meaning is most common inside watertight and airtight.

    Similarwaterproof, sealed, leakproof

    Oppositeleaky, porous

    Note

    Shipboard language keeps this sense alive: a hull reported tight and secure "did not leak a drop," in a 1965 issue of MotorBoating. Roofs and barrels can be tight in the same way. The obsolete verb "to make water-tight" meant making a vessel tight in this sense.

15. 15
    narrow (sexual)adjectiveslangvulgar

    Describing a person whose vagina or anus feels narrow and firm.

    His crude remark implied she was tight.

    The locker-room banter turned to whether the new partner was tight.

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