What it means
Tight-lipped means someone’s keeping shtum and refusing to spill any info, even when you’re prying. Picture lips clamped shut like a zipped pocket: no gossip, no hints, no accidental blurting. It’s handy for surprise parties, workplace drama, or when your mate’s being interrogated and decides to say absolutely nothing on the matter, no matter how much you badger them.
Usage examples
"I asked Mum what she’d bought for Dad’s birthday, but she stayed tight-lipped all week, grinning like she knew something I didn’t."
"She stayed tight-lipped about the wedding date no matter how much we pried."
"The boss was tight-lipped on the layoffs, just nodded and changed the subject."
Editors of this term
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