reticence n : the trait of being uncommunicative; not volunteering anything more than necessary [syn: reserve, taciturnity]

English

Etymology

From reticentia < reticēre

Noun

reticence

1. the avoidance of saying too much
2. a silent nature

Quotations

• 1897: You must not be angry with him, Art, because his very reticence means that all his brains are working for her good. — Dracula, Bram Stoker

Synonyms

• reserve, secrecy, taciturnity
• bashfulness, demureness, diffidence, quietness, reservation, shyness, timidity

Antonyms

• openness, talkativeness
• loquaciousness, ostentation

Related terms

• reticent, reticently

Spite is a strong feeling of contempt, hatred, grudge, desire to injure, motivated by envy or perceived suffering of injustice.

Skulking is a term used to refer to reticent behaviour. When applied to humans it often has connotations of malingering or lurking. When not rummaging under bushes, Mr Sculley can often be seen skulking in the woods or prowling along the shore.[Tom Gilling, The Sooterkin]

Applied to animals, skulking tends to indicate reticent unobtrusive behaviour, especially for inhabitants of concealing habitats such as forests and reedbeds. Species described as skulking might include many rails and small birds such as the Knysna Warbler.

"Skulk" is a fanciful or literary name for a group of foxes

References

See also

• Hostility
• Spite (game theory)

aloofness, backwardness, bashfulness, blankness, chilliness, coldness, constraint, coolness, detachment, discreetness, discretion, distance, expressionlessness, frigidity, frostiness, guardedness, iciness, impassiveness, impassivity, impersonality, inaccessibility, introversion, modesty, remoteness, repression, reserve, reservedness, restraint, reticency, retirement, standoffishness, subduedness, suppression, unaffability, unapproachability, uncongeniality, undemonstrativeness, unexpansiveness, withdrawal, withdrawnness