uptight
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sean Penn, Hollywood's eternal rebel, on Sunday won a third Oscar for his comic yet terrifying portrayal of an absurdly uptight soldier ashamed of his past in "One Battle After Another."
From Barron's ● Mar. 16, 2026
The depictions of Ruth’s uptight and stingy brother Hyacinth and jealous and mother-in-law from hell “old Mrs. Hall” are both hoots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
On its surface, Atlas seems to be delivering a revenge fantasy: All those uptight women who rejected you will get dumped by the time they’re 30, guys!
From Salon ● Nov. 21, 2025
This is no longer the uptight atmosphere where John Adams was angrily booed and where people noisily walked out as Zubin Mehta premiered major new works by Olivier Messiaen and Iannis Xenakis.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2025
“Haven’t you read Jane Austen? English people are more uptight than us, not less.”
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
