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Suffix · forms adjectives

-lipped

Describes someone's lips or, figuratively, how much they talk: tight-lipped (saying little) and loose-lipped (talking too freely).

In Spanish: de labios / de boca / reservado / calladoLiterary

Written by Bryan López, English teacher · Updated August 2026

What this suffix does

-lipped forms compound adjectives that use the lips — the physical gateway of speech — to describe how much a person reveals, how they express emotion, and how tightly they control what they say. Tight-lipped, thin-lipped, loose-lipped, stiff-lipped — each compound uses the posture or character of the lips as a signal of the person's internal state and communicative intentions. These compounds are among the most visually precise in English: they make facial expression into character analysis. The lips are the hinge between the inner world and the spoken word.

How it is formed

Adjective + lipped.

  • tight + lipped
    tight-lipped (saying little, secretive)
  • loose + lipped
    loose-lipped (talking too freely, indiscreet)
  • thin + lipped
    thin-lipped (having thin lips)

This is not a productive rule you can apply freely: it is a closed set of fixed expressions. Learn them one by one as set phrases.

How it is pronounced

-lipped

Tap the button to hear how the ending sounds. Each word in the table has its own audio.

Examples

Base word
With -lipped
In a phrase
  • tighttight-lippedShe stayed tight-lipped about the surprise party.
  • thinthin-lippedHe gave a thin-lipped smile and said nothing else.
  • looseloose-lippedBe careful what you tell him, he's a bit loose-lipped.
  • stiffstiff-lippedThe soldier stayed stiff-lipped through the whole ceremony.
  • fullfull-lippedThe portrait shows a full-lipped young woman.

Common mistakes

tight-lipped = angry
tight-lipped = deliberately withholding information; refusing to speak

"Tight-lipped" specifically describes the withholding of information — deliberate silence or refusal to comment. It does not necessarily mean angry. A tight-lipped response can be neutral, defensive, cautious, or professional. A politician who is tight-lipped about a policy may be angry or may simply be strategic. The compound describes the behaviour, not the emotion behind it.

thin-lipped = a neutral description of physical lip shape
thin-lipped in context almost always signals disapproval or cold displeasure

"Thin-lipped" refers to the way the lips press together when a person is suppressing strong disapproval or controlled anger. It is a highly visual image of emotion held back: the pressed-thin lips are a sign of displeasure that is not being expressed verbally. While some people have naturally thin lips, in literary use "thin-lipped" almost always implies a particular expression of controlled negative emotion.

A trick to remember it

The lips are where speech begins. -lipped compounds therefore say something about the relationship between a person's inner state and what they allow to leave their mouth. "Tight-lipped" and "stiff-lipped" describe the control and suppression of expression; "loose-lipped" describes the failure of that control. "Thin-lipped" describes the visible trace of suppressed emotion — the emotion that is held back but can be read in the face anyway. These compounds are particularly powerful in narrative writing because they allow a reader to see what a character is feeling without being told directly.

Practise what you learned

Exercise 1 · Form the word

Fill in: "The spokesperson gave a ___ response, repeating only that the investigation was ongoing." (deliberately withholding information; refusing to say more than the minimum)

Hint: Tight + lipped = whose lips are held tight; who says as little as possible.

Exercise 2 · Pick the right one

"The thin-lipped approval of the committee was the most the team could expect." What does "thin-lipped" suggest here?

Exercise 3 · Form the word

Fill in: "The ___ aide had inadvertently given journalists more than he realised during what he thought was an off-the-record conversation." (speaking too freely; failing to control what is revealed)

Hint: Loose + lipped = whose lips are loose; who speaks too freely and reveals too much.

Frequently asked questions

What does the suffix -lipped mean in English?

The suffix -lipped describes someone's lips or, figuratively, how much they talk: tight-lipped (saying little) and loose-lipped (talking too freely). In Spanish it usually maps to de labios / de boca / reservado / callado.

Can you give an example of a word with -lipped?

"tight" becomes "tight-lipped". It is a typical example of the -lipped suffix.

Other useful suffixes

  • -faced

    Describes someone's attitude or expression, literal or moral: two-faced (fake, hypocritical) and straight-faced (keeping a serious expression).

  • -spoken

    Describes someone's tone or style of speaking: soft-spoken (speaking gently) and outspoken (speaking one's mind bluntly).

  • -tongued

    Describes how someone talks: silver-tongued (persuasive, eloquent) and sharp-tongued (cutting, harsh in speech).

Learn every English suffix

-tion, -ness, -ful, -ly, -able... every ending you need to understand thousands of words at once.

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