All 3 Uses of
reticent
in
Lonesome Dove
- July was reticent about such things and would walk far into the woods when he had to go, to spare her any embarrassment.†
Chpt 36-37reticent = reluctant -- usually to speak freely
- She found his reticence and shyness strangely irritating—it sometimes made her want to tell him what she had really done before they married.†
Chpt 36-37reticence = reluctance -- usually to speak freely
- Jasper had never been reticent, but now it seemed he had to be talking every waking minute as a means of holding his own fears in balance.
Chpt 38-39 *reticent = reluctant to speak
Definition:
reluctant -- especially to speak freely
Synonym 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.
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.