tight (t?t)adj. tight·er, tight·est 1. Fixed or fastened firmly in place: a tight lid; tight screws; a tight knot.2. Stretched or drawn out fully: a tight wire; a tight drumhead.3. Of such close construction as to be impermeable: cloth tight enough to hold water; warm in our tight little cabin.4. a. Leaving little empty space through compression; compact: a tight suitcase; a tight weave.b. Affording little spare time; full: a tight schedule.5. Closely reasoned or concise: a tight argument; a tight style of writing.6. Fitting close or too close to the skin; snug: a tight collar; a fit that was much too tight.7. Slang Personally close; intimate: “me and the D.A., who happen to be very tight with one another” (Tom Wolfe).8. Experiencing a feeling of constriction: a tight feeling in the chest.9. Reluctant to spend or give; stingy.10. a. Obtainable with difficulty or only at a high price: tight money.b. Affected by scarcity: a tight market.11. Difficult to deal with or get out of: a tight spot.12. Barely profitable: a tight bargain.13. Closely contested; close: a tight match.14. Chiefly British Neat and trim in appearance or arrangement.15. Marked by full control over elements or subordinates; firm: tight management; a tight orchestral performance.16. Slang Intoxicated; drunk.17. Baseball Inside.adv. tight·er, tight·est 1. Firmly; securely.2. Soundly: sleep tight.3. Snugly or with constriction: My shoes are laced too tight.[Middle English, dense, of Scandinavian origin.]tight?ly adv.tight?ness n.Synonyms: tight, taut, tense1 These adjectives mean not slack or loose on account of being pulled or drawn out fully: a tight skirt; taut sails; tense piano strings.Usage Note: Tight is used as an adverb following verbs that denote a process of closure or constriction, as squeeze, shut, close, tie, and hold. In this use it is subtly distinct from the adverb tightly. Tight denotes the state resulting from the process, whereas tightly denotes the manner of its application. As such, tight is more appropriate when the focus is on a state that endures for some time after the activity has ended. The sentence She closed up the house tight suggests preparation for an impending blizzard. By the same token, it is more natural to say The windows were frozen tight than The windows were frozen tightly, since in this case the tightness of the seal is not likely to be the result of the manner in which the windows were frozen. With a few verbs tight is used idiomatically as an intensive and is the only possible form: sleep tight; sit tight. Tight can be used only following the verb: The house was shut tight (not tight shut). Before the verb, use tightly: The house was tightly shut.American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.tight (ta?t) adj1. stretched or drawn so as not to be loose; taut: a tight cord. 2. fitting or covering in a close manner: a tight dress. 3. held, made, fixed, or closed firmly and securely: a tight knot. 4. a. of close and compact construction or organization, esp so as to be impervious to water, air, etcb. (in combination): watertight; airtight. 5. unyielding or stringent: to keep a tight hold on resources. 6. cramped or constricted: a tight fit. 7. mean or miserly8. difficult and problematic: a tight situation. 9. hardly profitable: a tight bargain. 10. (Economics) economics a. (of a commodity) difficult to obtain; in excess demandb. (of funds, money, etc) difficult and expensive to borrow because of high demand or restrictive monetary policyc. (of markets) characterized by excess demand or scarcity with prices tending to rise. Compare easy811. (of a match or game) very close or even12. (of a team or group, esp of a pop group) playing well together, in a disciplined coordinated way13. informal drunk14. informal (of a person) showing tension15. archaic or dialect neatadv16. in a close, firm, or secure way: pull it tight. 17. sit tight a. to wait patiently; bide one’s timeb. to maintain one’s position, stand, or opinion firmly18. sleep tight to sleep soundly[C14: probably variant of thight, from Old Norse th?ttr close; related to Middle High German d?hte thick] ?tightly adv ?tightness nCollins English Dictionary ? Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014tight (ta?t) adj. and adv. -er, -est. adj. 1. firmly or closely fixed in place; secure: a tight knot. 2. drawn or stretched so as to be tense; taut. 3. fitting closely, esp. too closely: a tight collar. 4. difficult to deal with or manage: a tight situation. 5. of such close texture or fit as to be impervious to water, air, etc.: a tight roof. 6. concise; terse. 7. firm; rigid: tight control. 8. affording little leeway; full: a tight schedule. 9. nearly even; close: a tight race. 10. parsimonious; stingy. 11. Slang. drunk; tipsy. 12. characterized by scarcity or demand that exceeds supply: a tight job market; tight money. 13. tidy; orderly. 14. neatly or well built or made. adv. 15. in a tight manner; closely; securely: Shut the door tight. 16. soundly or deeply: to sleep tight. Idioms: run a tight ship, to maintain smooth efficiency, as in a company. [1400?50; late Middle English, sandhi variant of Middle English thight dense, solid, tight