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1. fixed, fastened, or closed firmly; hard to move, undo, or open:

〈ねじ･ふたなどが〉しっかりしまった, きつい; 〈結び目･握り方などが〉きつくて解けない, しっかりした

e.g. she twisted her handkerchief into a tight knot.

(of clothes or shoes) close-fitting, especially uncomfortably so:

〈服･靴などが〉きつい, 窮屈な(↔ easy)

e.g. the dress was too tight for her.

(of a grip) very firm so as not to let go:

e.g. she released her tight hold on the dog

e.g. figurative : presidential advisers keep a tight grip on domestic policy.

(of a ship, building, or object) well sealed against something such as water or air:

e.g. in combination : a light-tight container.

2. (of a rope, fabric, or surface) stretched so as to leave no slack; not loose:

〈ひも･布地などが〉ぴんと張った(↔ slack)

e.g. the drawcord pulls tight.

(of muscles or skin) firm or taut:

e.g. he showed off his tight abs

e.g. the tight skin on your face may start to sag.

(of a part of the body or a bodily sensation) feeling painful and constricted, as a result of anxiety or illness:

(病気･心配で)〈体の一部(特に胸)が〉締めつけられるような, 苦しい

e.g. there was a tight feeling in his gut.

(of appearance or manner) tense, irritated, or angry:

〈表情･声などが〉厳しい, こわばった

e.g. she gave him a tight smile.

(of a rule, policy, or form of control) strictly imposed:

〖通例名詞の前で〗厳しい, 厳重な〈統制･制限など〉

e.g. security was tight at yesterday's ceremony.

(of a written work or form) concise, condensed, or well structured:

〈やり方･出来などが〉むだのない, きっちりした

e.g. a tight argument.

(of an organization or group of people) disciplined or professional; well coordinated:

息のあった

e.g. the vocalists are strong and the band is tight.

3. (of an area or space) having or allowing little room for maneuver:

〈空間が〉余裕のない, 密集した, すき間なく詰まった

e.g. a tight parking spot

e.g. it was a tight squeeze in the tiny vestibule.

(of a bend, turn, or angle) changing direction sharply; having a short radius.

〖通例名詞の前で〗急な, きつい〈カーブなど〉

(of money or time) limited or restricted:

〈予定･時間･状況などが〉余裕のない, せっぱ詰まった

e.g. David was out of work and money was tight

e.g. an ability to work to tight deadlines.

4. (of a formation or a group of people or things) closely or densely packed together:

e.g. he levered the bishop out from a tight knot of clerical wives.

(of a community or other group of people) having close relations; tight-knit:

〈集団･組織などが〉固く結びついた, 親密な

e.g. the tenants were far too tight to let anyone know.

5. (of a game or contest) with evenly matched competitors; very close:

〈試合などが〉接戦の, 互角の

e.g. he won in a tight finish.

6. British informal (of a person) not willing to spend or give much money; stingy.

｟くだけて｠ 〈金･予算などが〉余裕のない, 金詰まりの; ｟けなして｠ 〈人が〉けちな, しまり屋の(tight-fisted, stingy)(↔ generous)

7. predicative informal drunk:

｟やや古･くだけて｠ ; 〖be ～〗 酔っ払って

e.g. later, at the club, he got tight on brandy.

very firmly, closely, or tensely:

〖主に動詞の後で〗しっかりと, きつく〈握る･閉じる･伸ばすなど〉; ぎっしりと, ぎゅうぎゅうに〈詰めるなど〉

e.g. he went downstairs, holding tight to the banisters.

be very strict in managing an organization or operation.

a difficult situation:

e.g. her talent for talking her way out of tight corners.

Middle English (in the sense ‘healthy, vigorous’, later ‘firm, solid’): probably an alteration of thight ‘firm, solid’, later ‘close-packed, dense’, of Germanic origin; related to German dicht ‘dense, close’.