reticent
pronunciation
How to pronounce reticent in British English:
UK [ˈretɪsnt]
How to pronounce reticent in American English:
US [ˈrɛtɪsənt]
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- Adjective:
- temperamentally disinclined to talk
- cool and formal in manner
- reluctant to draw attention to yourself
Word Origin
- reticent
- reticent: [19] The ultimate source of reticent is Latin tacēre ‘be silent’ (source of English tacit and taciturn). Combination with the intensive prefix re- produced reticēre ‘keep silent’, whose present participle gave English reticent. It was preceded into the language by over two hundred years by the derived noun reticence.=> tacit, taciturn
- reticent (adj.)
- 1834, from Latin reticentem (nominative reticens), present participle of reticere "be silent" (see reticence).
Example
- 1. You have an extra reason to be reticent .
- 2. Others in the delta have been less reticent .
- 3. When asked about his future prospects , yao himself was reticent .
- 4. Her mother , always reticent about the tragedy , died in 1975 at age 95 .
- 5. Just how much can a polite and reticent people withstand ? That is the test for modern china .