tight 1 S2 W3 / taɪt / 形容词 ( comparative tighter , superlative tightest )
1 clothes tight clothes fit your body very closely, especially in a way that is uncomfortable 反义词 loose :
tight jeans
My shoes were so tight that I could hardly walk.
The jacket is rather a tight fit (= it fits too tightly ) .
2 pulled/stretched firmly string, wire, cloth etc that is tight has been pulled or stretched firmly so that it is straight or cannot move :
The bandage must be tight enough to stop the bleeding.
She tied the rope around the post and pulled it tight .
3 attached firmly a screw, lid etc that is tight is firmly attached and difficult to move :
Check that the screws are tight.
4 holding something firmly a tight hold/grip if you keep or have a tight hold on something, you hold it firmly :
His mother kept a tight hold on his hand.
5 strict controlling something very strictly or firmly :
The government is keeping tight control on immigration.
keep a tight grip/hold/rein on something (= control it very firmly )
The former dictator still keeps a tight grip on power.
Anna was determined to keep a tight hold on her feelings.
Security is always tight for the opening day of parliament.
run/keep a tight ship (= manage a company, organization etc strictly and effectively )
6 little money if money is tight, you do not have enough of it
money is tight/things are tight
Money was tight and he needed a job badly.
As you know, I run the magazine on a pretty tight budget .
7 little time if time is tight, it is difficult for you to do everything you need to do in the time available :
Time is tight , and she has another meeting to go to this afternoon.
We should arrive on time, but it’ll be tight.
As usual, his schedule on Saturday was tight (= he had arranged to do several things in a short time ) .
I’m working to a very tight deadline (= I have to finish a piece of work very quickly ) .
8 little space if space is tight, there is only just enough space to fit something into a place
be a tight squeeze/fit
Six in the car will be a tight squeeze.
9 not generous informal not generous, or trying hard to avoid spending money :
Don’t be so tight!
10 close together placed or standing closely together :
The animal’s body was curled up in a tight little ball.
She wore her hair in a tight bun.
11 close relationship a tight group of people, countries etc have a close relationship with each other 同义词 tight-knit :
Together, the young film-makers formed a tight group.
the tight bonds that had grown between them
12 bend/turn a tight bend or turn is very curved and turns quickly in another direction :
Danny lost control on a tight bend, and the car ran off the road.
13 chest/stomach/throat if your chest, stomach, or throat feels tight, it feels painful and uncomfortable, because you are ill or worried :
Before she went on stage her chest felt tight and her throat hurt.
14 expression/smile/voice a tight expression, smile, or voice shows that you are annoyed or worried 同义词 tight-lipped :
‘Look, I’m sorry …,’ she said, forcing a tight smile.
15 difficult situation in a tight corner/spot informal in a difficult situation :
He’s a good man to have around if ever you’re in a tight corner.
‘Did something go wrong?’ ‘Let’s just say I got into a bit of a tight spot.’
16 play/performance playing a piece of music or giving a performance very exactly and well, without any pauses or mistakes :
The band gave a really tight performance.
a tight, well-rehearsed production
17 game/competition a tight game, competition etc is one in which the teams, players etc play equally well, and it is not easy to win :
The opening quarter of the game was very tight.
18 drunk [名词前不用] old-fashioned informal drunk
— tightly 副词 :
Marie held the baby tightly in her arms.
— tightness 名词 [不可数名词] → airtight , watertight
THESAURUS
rule/law/system
strict a strict order or rule is one that must be obeyed : There are strict rules about keeping tax records. | He had strict instructions to return the key to me.
tight tight controls or limits are very strict about what is allowed and what is not allowed : The report recommends tighter controls on the advertising of alcohol. | There are tight regulations governing waste disposal.
tough tough laws or rules are very strict : They want tougher laws against drinking and driving. | The federal government is introducing tough new rules on immigration.
harsh harsh punishments or laws are very severe, often too severe : There are harsh penalties for drug trafficking. | The government has brought in harsh measures to combat the rioting taking place in many cities.
stringent controlling what people can do with rules that have very high standards : There are now stringent controls on pollution from all power stations. | stringent new food safety regulations