Both Uses
reticent
in
The Poisonwood Bible
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- He took my hand as we walked to the river, which surprised me, as he's normally reticent to show affection in public.
Chpt 5 *reticent = reluctant
- He retained some reticence about speaking English, refusing for example ever to say the word sheet because to his ear it's indistinguishable from shit, but he read with a kind of hunger I'd never witnessed.†
Chpt 5reticence = reluctance -- usually to speak freely
Definitions:
-
(1)
(reticent) reluctant -- especially to speak freelySynonym Comparison (if you're into word choice):
Consider using taciturn rather than reticent when the reluctance to speak is a general disposition rather than a short-term situation brought about by particular circumstance. - (2) (meaning too rare to warrant focus)