tighten
English · Thesaurus
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
tighten
- /ˈtaɪ.tən/
- [ˈtʰaɪ̯tn̩]
- [ˈtʰaɪ̯ʔn̩]
Sounds like titan, Titan · Rhymes with -aɪtən
Where it comes from
Synchronically equivalent to tight + -en, but actually derived from Middle English tighten, from Old English tyhtan, thus originally unrelated to tight (Old English *þiht).
verb tightens · tightening · tightened
- To make tighter. Please tighten that screw a quarter-turn.
- To become tighter. That joint is tightening as the wood dries.
- To make money harder to borrow or obtain. If the government doesn't tighten the money supply, inflation is certain to be harsh.
- To raise short-term interest rates. The Fed is expected to tighten by a quarter-point.
Similar: bind, brace, cinch, clench, constrict, squeeze, tighten, taughten, tauten, tense · Opposite: loosen, divide, liberate
Thesaurus
Closest in meaning: tighten up, constrain, reduce, stiffen, fasten, tightness, tight, intensify, restrict, harden, toughen, strengthening, strengthen, narrow, hold, increase
Translations
Every language
verb to make tighter
| Español | apretar, tensar, ceñir, ajustar, cinchar |
|---|---|
| Português | apertar |
| Français | serrer |
| Deutsch | anziehen, straffen |
| Italiano | stringere |
| Ελληνικά | σφίγγω sfíngo |
| Română | strânge |
| Русский | натя́гивать natjágivatʹ, натяну́ть natjanútʹ, затя́гивать zatjágivatʹ, затяну́ть zatjanútʹ |
| العربية | شَدَّ šadda, ضَيَّقَ ḍayyaqa, حَبَكَ ḥabaka |
verb to become tighter
| Español | tensarse |
|---|---|
| Français | se resserrer |
| Русский | натя́гиваться natjágivatʹsja, натяну́ться natjanútʹsja, затя́гиваться zatjágivatʹsja, затяну́ться zatjanútʹsja |
verb to make money harder to obtain
| Español | endurecer la política monetaria |
|---|
verb to raise interest rate
| Français | resserrer les taux |
|---|
Talk about this word "tighten." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tighten. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tighten. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tighten "tighten." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tighten.Cite this
@misc{tighten_2026,
title = {tighten},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tighten},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
