All 8 Uses of
taciturn
in
War and Peace
- …very strictly to social distinctions and rarely admitted even important government officials to his table, had unexpectedly selected Michael Ivanovich (who always went into a corner to blow his nose on his checked handkerchief) to illustrate the theory that all men are equals, and had more than once impressed on his daughter that Michael Ivanovich was "not a whit worse than you or I." At dinner the prince usually spoke to the taciturn Michael Ivanovich more often than to anyone else.†
Chpt 1
- One of the Frenchmen, with the politeness characteristic of his countrymen, addressed the obstinately taciturn Rostov, saying that the latter had probably come to Tilsit to see the Emperor.†
Chpt 5 *
- Prince Nicholas came in serious and taciturn.†
Chpt 8
- Marya Dmitrievna came back to dinner taciturn and serious, having evidently suffered a defeat at the old prince's.†
Chpt 8
- Involuntarily feeling this at dinner on the first day, he was taciturn, and the old prince noticing this also became morosely dumb and retired to his apartments directly after dinner.†
Chpt 9
- In contrast to his former reticent taciturnity Prince Andrew now seemed excited.†
Chpt 10
- All alike were taciturn and morose.†
Chpt 10
- The count ordered his carriage that he might drive to Sokolniki, and sat in his study with folded hands, morose, sallow, and taciturn.†
Chpt 11
Definition:
-
(taciturn) with a tendency to be reserved and not to talkeditor's notes: Synonym Comparison (if you're into word choice):
Consider using reticent rather than taciturn when the reluctance to talk is brought on by a particular situation rather than being a general disposition.