as in worried
feeling or showing uncomfortable feelings of uncertainty
he has a tendency to fret and get uptight whenever his usual routine is disrupted
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of uptight
This is a daunting role — that of an uptight lawyer confronting his own homophobia while defending a gay man (Tom Hanks) — but Washington does a fine job transforming the character from a life-lesson surrogate for the audience into a person with actual dimensions.
—
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Mamie is a notable and unique character in The Gilded Age and history, remembered as a rule-breaker who kept the uptight society ladies on their toes.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 21 July 2025
Shooter aped Marvel Comics’ writing style, bringing a measure of 1960s cool to the more uptight comics that National put out.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
Two of them—Bertha Russell on The Gilded Age and Gloria Burgle on Fargo—have earned her Emmy nominations, and that number seems likely to grow thanks to her delicious performance as Laurie, an uptight workaholic in the midst of a midlife crisis in The White Lotus season three.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for uptight
Tim Grierson, Vulture, 15 Aug. 2025
Mamie is a notable and unique character in The Gilded Age and history, remembered as a rule-breaker who kept the uptight society ladies on their toes.
—Christopher Rudolph, People.com, 21 July 2025
Shooter aped Marvel Comics’ writing style, bringing a measure of 1960s cool to the more uptight comics that National put out.
—Borys Kit, HollywoodReporter, 1 July 2025
Two of them—Bertha Russell on The Gilded Age and Gloria Burgle on Fargo—have earned her Emmy nominations, and that number seems likely to grow thanks to her delicious performance as Laurie, an uptight workaholic in the midst of a midlife crisis in The White Lotus season three.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 23 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for uptight
Recent Examples of Synonyms for uptight
Adjective
-
Small business owners, who rely on social media to promote and sell their products, were especially worried with a busy festive season looming.—
Nir Kshetri,
The Conversation,
14 Sep. 2025
-
Parents are worried not just about getting food on the table, but whether that food is good for their kids.—
Yasmin Tayag,
The Atlantic,
14 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
FurHaven Calming Cuddler Donut Pet Bed A fluffy bed that surrounds your dog with warmth can be great for relieving anxiety and calming down a nervous pet.—
Rachel Trujillo,
PEOPLE,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Even with the mixed indications for winter golf, course owners are nervous, NCGOA CEO Jay Karen said on a video call.—
Brendan Coffey,
Sportico.com,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
During the trials, some participants experienced nausea and an upset stomach, but investigators found that dividing up the pills, instead of taking all four at once, and swallowing them with orange juice instead of water, helped relieve the symptoms.—
Megan McIntyre,
Allure,
16 Sep. 2025
-
So don’t be overly upset Yankee fans.—
Tony Blengino,
Forbes.com,
16 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Research in attachment theory tells us that people with anxious attachment tendencies often monitor signs of availability and care in their partners.—
Mark Travers,
Forbes.com,
14 Sep. 2025
-
While all of his children enjoy supporting him at his fights, María is the one who gets the most anxious, according to Canelo.—
Nasha Smith,
PEOPLE,
13 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Handing spending power to a piece of software makes people uneasy.—
Ron Schmelzer,
Forbes.com,
11 Sep. 2025
-
An uneasy calm, after two nights of chaos that saw tens of thousands of people pour out into the streets to vent their fury, setting fire to parliament and the Supreme Court – key symbols of state – and clashing with the government forces sent to keep them under control.—
Lex Harvey,
CNN Money,
10 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
Looking for role models, troubled young men find Andrew Tate.—
Jay Stahl,
USA Today,
10 Sep. 2025
-
Laporta has repeatedly said that returning to the Camp Nou, which will have a capacity of 105,000 when finished, as soon as possible is crucial to boosting their troubled finances.—
Pol Ballus,
New York Times,
10 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Uptight.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/uptight. Accessed 19 Sep. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share