tight

/taɪt/

adj 5adv 2verb 2

Collocations

38

1

(adj., adv.) not loose

VERBS

be, feel, look, seem

become, get, go

My shoes got tight after I gained some weight last winter.

hold (on)

The child held tight to her mother's hand as they crossed the busy street.

clamp sth, clench sth, close sth, draw sth, pull sth, shut sth, stretch sth, tie sth

She pulled the rope tight to secure the boat to the dock.

clutch sth, grip sth, hold sth, keep sth

She gripped the handrail tight as the boat rocked back and forth in the rough waves.

ADV

extremely, really, very | a bit, fairly, pretty, quite, rather, reasonably

enough

The lid wasn't screwed tight enough, so the juice spilled all over the shelf.

2

(adj., adv.) with not much time/money to spare

VERBS

be, look, seem

get

We need to finish the project soon because our deadline is getting tight.

ADV

extremely, particularly, really, very | a bit, fairly, pretty, rather

3

(adj., adv.) controlled very strictly

VERBS

be, seem | become

remain

After the scandal, the company's control over its spending remained tight.

ADV

extremely, really, very | increasingly | fairly, pretty, quite

enough

The security at the airport was tight enough to prevent any unauthorized access.

4

(adj., adv.) not loose

VERBS

be, feel, look, seem

become, get, go

The knot became tight after I pulled both ends of the string firmly.

hold (on)

She held tight to the rope as the boat rocked in the rough water.

clamp sth, clench sth, close sth, draw sth, pull sth, shut sth, stretch sth, tie sth

She pulled the rope tight to secure the boat to the dock.

clutch sth, grip sth, hold sth, keep sth

She gripped the handrail tight as the boat rocked back and forth in the storm.

ADV

extremely, really, very | a bit, fairly, pretty, quite, rather, reasonably

enough

The lid wasn't screwed on tight enough, so the juice leaked out of the container.

5

(adj., adv.) with not much time/money to spare

VERBS

be, look, seem

get

We need to finish the project soon because the deadline is getting tight.

ADV

extremely, particularly, really, very | a bit, fairly, pretty, rather

6

(adj., adv.) controlled very strictly

VERBS

be, seem | become

remain

Control over the company's budget remained tight even after the new manager arrived.

ADV

extremely, really, very | increasingly | fairly, pretty, quite

enough

Is your grip on the rope tight enough to hold on safely?

Definitions

adj

1

Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.

a tight sponge; a tight knot

Pull your seatbelts tight before takeoff.

2

Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.

tight control on a situation

3

Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.

Make sure to pull the rope tight.

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. […].

4

Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.

I grew up in a poor neighborhood; money was very tight, but we made do.

China’s currency, the jenminpi, has remained stable; the Chinese assert that it is the "world’s most stable currency." This is generally conceded to be the result of the care with which the Chinese economy and its tight budget are managed.

5

Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.

We've grown tighter over the years.

The drawbacks of being in a too-tight couple (there's no room to blow your nose)

adv

1

Firmly, so as not to come loose easily.

Hold on tight to the rope.

'I had my eyes tight shut.'

2

Soundly.

Good night, sleep tight.

verb

1

To make tight; tighten.

2

To make water-tight.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

adjective — demanding strict attention to rules and procedures

rigorous
stringent

adjective — exasperatingly difficult to handle or circumvent

nasty

adjective — very drunk

adjective — (of a contest or contestants) evenly matched

close

adjective — (used of persons or behavior) characterized by or indicative

mean
mingy
miserly

adjective — pressed tightly together

compressed

adjective — of textiles

close

adjective — pulled or drawn tight

taut

adverb — firmly or closely

fast

adverb — in an attentive manner

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

sit tight

To wait patiently; to take no action; to remain quiet or relatively motionless.

I'll be back in a few minutes, so sit tight while I go find her.

tight ship

A well-organized and highly disciplined organization.

to run a tight ship

tight lips

Of a person, silence or reticence.

After M. de Kercadiou came M. de Vilmorin, very pale and self-contained, with tight lips and an overcast brow.

tight spot

A difficult position.

Jays Squeeze Out of Tight Spot Into a 2-1 Lead [title]

hang tight

To wait, without attempting to address a challenging, alarming, or dangerous situation, until a later point in time.

And should a really large payoff be hit, a jackpot, the machines will make a bunch of noise, a light may go off atop the machine and you just hang tight, a casino employee should b

Example Bank

6

01

a tight sponge; a tight knot

Wiktionary

02

Pull your seatbelts tight before takeoff.

Wiktionary

03

tight control on a situation

Wiktionary

04

Hold on tight to the rope.

Wiktionary

05

'I had my eyes tight shut.'

Wiktionary

06

Good night, sleep tight.

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, tight is marked as figuratively, informal, obsolete, colloquial. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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