Nervous, tense, or unwilling to relax; overly formal or strict about rules.
A modern American slang term from the 1960s combining 'up' and 'tight,' originally used to describe someone emotionally constricted or anxious, popularized during the counterculture movement.
The word 'uptight' became common during the 1960s counterculture when young people were rebelling against what they saw as rigid, repressed adult society—it's a time capsule of that generation's attitudes.
Gendered insult disproportionately applied to women perceived as controlling or anxious; coded as unfeminine, with male equivalents ('assertive', 'principled') reframed positively.
Avoid entirely; use specific behavioral descriptors: 'rigid in approach', 'risk-averse', 'anxious' without gendered judgment.
["rigid","risk-averse","anxious","cautious"]
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