buttoned-up 1 of 2

adjective

ˈbə-tᵊnd-ˈəp How to pronounce buttoned-up (audio)
Definition of buttoned-upnext
as in detached
having or showing a lack of friendliness or interest in others a buttoned-up colleague who had no interest in talking about anything but work, even at parties

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

buttoned (up)

2 of 2

verb

past tense of button (up)
as in zipped (up)

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of buttoned-up
Adjective
Compared with Sanchez’s getup, the buttoned-up Adam Lippes coat and wide-brimmed Eric Javits hat worn by Melania Trump to the Inauguration were tasteful, even demure. — Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2025 Use it as a layering piece or wear it buttoned-up on its own. — Melanie Fincher, Southern Living, 29 Nov. 2024
Recent Examples of Synonyms for buttoned-up
  1. detached
  2. distant
  3. cold
  4. cool
  5. reserved
Adjective
  • One adult who lives in the detached garage and six adults and three cats who live in an adjacent home were displaced by the fire, according to the post.
    — Graeme Taskerud, The Denver Post, 28 Feb. 2025
  • These parents fulfill their child’s basic needs—food, shelter and clothing—but remain emotionally detached and disengaged.
    — Mark Travers, Forbes, 19 Jan. 2025
Definition of detached
Adjective
  • No problem Remember when adventure seemed like a distant memory?
    — Kurt Knutsson, CyberGuy Report, Fox News, 25 Feb. 2025
  • Resembling a distant cousin to the truffula tree in Seussical botany, this shaft of sturdy stem with intermittent globes of golden treats is a pollinator’s dream.
    — New York Times Games, New York Times, 25 Feb. 2025
Definition of distant
Adjective
  • But as the lingerie giant negotiates around a more cautious consumer, colder weather and tariff uncertainty out of the Trump White House, Hillary Super’s longer-term plans are coming into focus.
    — Evan Clark, WWD, 6 Mar. 2025
  • South of the Arctic’s polar vortex is the jet stream, a river of west to east air that flows five to nine miles above ground, and helps keep the pole’s cold air confined to the Arctic.
    — Jeffrey Kluger, TIME, 6 Mar. 2025
Definition of cold
Adjective
  • The children who would have traded their own existence for a cooler planet have already been born.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, The New Yorker, 24 Feb. 2025
  • The Oscars are your beloved but slightly uptight grandma; the Golden Globes are your fun cousin who sometimes gets a little too sloppy at parties, and the SAG Awards are your cool young aunt who knows how to have a good time but always keeps it classy.
    — Kristen Baldwin, EW.com, 24 Feb. 2025
Definition of cool
Adjective
  • Every Wednesday night, Erika Hernandez's home has an open door—and a reserved seat—for her late son's best friend.
    — Russel Honoré, Newsweek, 5 Mar. 2025
  • Members of the State Department's diplomatic corps have a reserved section.
    — Javier Zarracina, USA TODAY, 3 Mar. 2025
Definition of reserved

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buttoned-up
buttoned (up)
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Cite this Entry

“Buttoned-up.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/buttoned-up. Accessed 10 Mar. 2025.

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