All 3 Uses
reticent
in
Atonement, by Ian McEwan
(Auto-generated)
- She had green eyes and sharp bones in her face, and hollow cheeks, and there was something brittle in her reticence that suggested strong will and a temper easily lost.†
Chpt 1 *reticence = reluctance -- usually to speak freely
- There would be a funeral in the village at which Briony's dignified reticence would hint at the vastness of her sorrow.†
Chpt 1
- Your covering letter was admirably reticent, but you did hint that you had almost no free time at present.†
Chpt 3reticent = reluctant -- 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)