different between tight vs thorough

English

Etymology

From Middle English tight, tyght, ty?t, tiht, variants of thight, thiht, from Old English *þ?ht, *þiht (attested in meteþiht) and Old Norse þéttr, both from Proto-Germanic *þinhtaz, from Proto-Indo-European *tenkt- (“dense, thick, tight”), from Proto-Indo-European *ten- (“to stretch, pull”). Cognate with Scots ticht, West Frisian ticht, Danish tæt, Icelandic þéttur (“dense”), Norwegian tett, Swedish tät, Dutch dicht (“dense”), German dicht (“dense”).

Pronunciation

• enPR: t?t, IPA^(key): /ta?t/
• Rhymes: -a?t

Adjective

tight (comparative tighter, superlative tightest)

1. Firmly held together; compact; not loose or open.
   1. Unyielding or firm.

   2. Under high tension; taut.
   3. (colloquial) Scarce, hard to come by.

   4. (colloquial, figuratively) Intimately friendly.

   5. (slang, figuratively, usually derogatory) Miserly or frugal.

2. (of a space, design or arrangement) Narrow, such that it is difficult for something or someone to pass through it.
   2. Fitting close, or too close, to the body.

   3. Of a turn, sharp, so that the timeframe for making it is narrow and following it is difficult.

   4. Lacking holes; difficult to penetrate; waterproof.
      • 1965, MotorBoating, page 145

        He reported the hull was tight and secure and did not leak a drop.

      • 2014, Ian Black, "Courts kept busy as Jordan works to crush support for Isis", The Guardian, 27 November:

        Security is tight inside and outside the building, guarded by a bewildering collection of soldiers, policemen and gendarmes. Relatives watch as prisoners in handcuffs and leg irons shuffle past.

3. Well-rehearsed and accurate in execution.
   1. (sports) Not conceding many goals.
      • 2014, Paul Doyle, "Southampton hammer eight past hapless Sunderland in barmy encounter", The Guardian, 18 October 2014:

        The odd thing was that Sunderland made the better start and showed early signs that they might pose serious problems to the Premier League’s tightest defence.

4. (slang) Intoxicated; drunk or acting like being drunk.
   • 1940, Effie Butler, Misbehaving Husbands:

     I'm going to celebrate my divorce! And then I'm going to get tight.

   • 2001, Gaelic Storm, Johnny Tarr (on the album Tree):

     Johnny walked into the Castle Bar, looking to get tight.

5. (slang) Extraordinarily great or special.

6. (slang, British (regional)) Mean; unfair; unkind.
   • 1977, Willy Russell, Our Day Out, Act One, Scene One:

     Reilly: Ey, Miss, hang on, hang on... can we come with y', Miss? Can we?

     Digga: Go on, Miss, don't be tight, let's come.

   • 2001, Kevin Sampson, Outlaws, p.244:

     "Ah leave him, ay!" goes one of the girls. "Don't be tight." I turns to her. "Don't you think it's tight terrorising old ladies? Ay?"

   • 2011, Andrew Hicks, "Thai Girl: A story of the one who said 'no'", unnumbered page:

     "That's right ... so even when life's a grind, the Thais keep smiling. They think the farang are a miserable lot who have to get drunk to enjoy themselves."

     "Dutch, that's tight mate, I mean what's wrong with getting pissed. When you're not working, you gotta have a good time," said Darren.

7. (obsolete) Not ragged; whole; neat; tidy.

   • clad very plain, but clean and tight

   • 1714, John Gay, The What D'ye Call It

     I'll spin and card, and keep our children tight.

   • 1887, W. S. Gilbert, Ruddigore

     Richard: But here she comes! [...] (Enter Rose — he is much struck by her.) By the Port Admiral, but she's a tight little craft!

   • “A tight little craft,” was Austin’s invariable comment on the matron; and she looked it, always trim and trig and smooth of surface like a converted yacht cleared for action. ¶ Near her wandered her husband […] from time to time squinting sideways, as usual, in the ever-renewed expectation that he might catch a glimpse of his stiff, retroussé moustache.

8. (obsolete) Handy; adroit; brisk.
9. (poker) Of a player, who plays very few hands. (Can we add an example for this sense?)
10. (poker) Using a strategy which involves playing very few hands. (Can we add an example for this sense?)

Synonyms

• (firmly held together): close, serried (of ranks); see also Thesaurus:tight
• (pushed/pulled together): crowded, dense; see also Thesaurus:compact
• (under high tension): taut, tense, under tension; see also Thesaurus:taut
• (miserly or frugal): niggardly, parsimonious; see also Thesaurus:stingy
• (narrow): narrow; see also Thesaurus:narrow
• (fitting close to the body): figure-hugging, snug, tight-fitting; see also Thesaurus:close-fitting
• (well-rehearsed and accurate): polished, precise; see also Thesaurus:meticulous
• (intimately friendly): close, close-knit, intimate
• (slang: intoxicated): blotto, plastered; see also Thesaurus:drunk
• (slang: extraordinarily great or special): ace, cool, fab, rad, slick; see also Thesaurus:excellent
• (slang: mean; unfair; unkind): see also Thesaurus:mean
• (not ragged): ruly, shipshape, trim; see also Thesaurus:orderly
• (handy; adroit; brisk): crafty, dexterous, skilful; see also Thesaurus:skilled

Antonyms

• (firmly held together): baggy (of clothing or other material), loose, sagging, saggy, slack; see also Thesaurus:loose
• (pushed/pulled together):
• (under high tension): loose, relaxed, slack; see also Thesaurus:careless
• (miserly or frugal): generous, prodigal, scattergood; see also Thesaurus:generous or Thesaurus:prodigal
• (narrow): broad, capacious, open, roomy, spacious, wide; see also Thesaurus:wide
• (well-rehearsed and accurate): slack, slapdash, sloppy
• (slang: intoxicated): clearheaded, on the wagon; see also Thesaurus:sober
• (slang: extraordinarily great or special): crap, naff, pathetic, rubbish; see also Thesaurus:bad
• (slang: mean; unfair; unkind): nice, pleasant; see also Thesaurus:kindly
• (not ragged): unruly, messy; see also Thesaurus:disorderly
• (handy; adroit; brisk): bungling, maladroit, unskilful; see also Thesaurus:unskilled

Derived terms

Translations

Adverb

tight (comparative tighter, superlative tightest)

1. Firmly, so as not to come loose easily.

   Make sure the lid is closed tight.
2. Soundly.

   Good night, sleep tight.

Synonyms

• (firmly): fast, firmly, securely
• (soundly): soundly, well

Antonyms

• (firmly): loosely
• (soundly): badly, fitfully

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

tight (third-person singular simple present tights, present participle tighting, simple past and past participle tighted)

1. (obsolete) To tighten.

Danish

Etymology

From English tight. Doublet of tæt.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /tajt/, [?t??jd?]

Adjective

tight (plural and definite singular attributive tighte)

1. tight (of cloths, finances, schedules)

   Synonym: stram

2. (music) tight (keeping time and with musical understanding)

References

• “tight” in Den Danske Ordbog

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from English tight.

Noun

tight m (invariable)

1. morning suit, morning dress

English

Alternative forms

• thoro (informal)

Etymology

From Middle English thoru?, þoru?, from Old English þuruh, a byform of Old English þurh, whence comes English through. The adjective derives from the preposition and adverb. The word developed a syllabic form in cases where the word was fully stressed: when it was used as an adverb, adjective, or noun, and less commonly when used as a preposition.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?????/, /??????/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /????o?/, /????o?/
• (accents without the hurry–furry merger)
• (accents with the hurry–furry merger)
• Rhymes: -?r?

Adjective

thorough (comparative more thorough, superlative most thorough)

1. Painstaking and careful not to miss or omit any detail.

   The Prime Minister announced a thorough investigation into the death of a father of two in police custody.

   He is the most thorough worker I have ever seen.

   The infested house needs a thorough cleansing before it will be inhabitable.

2. Utter; complete; absolute.
   • 1925-29, Mahadev Desai (translator), M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments with Truth, Part I, chapter xviii^[1]:

     I was elected to the Executive Committee of the Vegetarian Society, and made it a point to attend every one of its meetings, but I always felt tongue-tied. Dr. Oldfield once said to me, 'You talk to me quite all right, but why is it that you never open your lips at a committee meeting? You are a drone.' I appreciated the banter. The bees are ever busy, the drone is a thorough idler. And it was not a little curious that whilst others expressed their opinions at these meetings, I sat quite silent. Not that I never felt tempted to speak. But I was at a loss to know how to express myself. All the rest of the members appeared to me to be better informed than I. Then it often happened that just when I had mustered up courage to speak, a fresh subject would be started. This went on for a long time.

Synonyms

• (detailed): comprehensive, rigorous, scrupulous; see also Thesaurus:meticulous or Thesaurus:comprehensive
• (utter; complete; absolute): downright, outright, unmitigated; see also Thesaurus:total

Derived terms

• thoroughbred
• thoroughgoing
• thoroughly
• thoroughness

Translations

Preposition

thorough

1. (obsolete) Through. [9th-19th c.]
   • 1599, William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar, V. i. 109:

     You are contented to be led in triumph / Thorough the streets of Rome?

Noun

thorough (plural thoroughs)

1. (Britain, dialect) A furrow between two ridges, to drain off the surface water.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Halliwell to this entry?)