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Insouciant vs Reticent - What's the difference?

insouciant | reticent |

As adjectives the difference between insouciant and reticent

is that insouciant is carefree, nonchalant, indifferent; casually unconcerned while reticent is reluctant; reticent.

insouciant

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Carefree, nonchalant, indifferent; casually unconcerned.
  • * 1903 , , "Cadiz" in The Land of The Blessed Virgin :
  • It was there that on Sunday I had seen the populace disport itself, and it was full of life then, gay and insouciant .
  • * 1913 , , The Golden Road , ch. 3:
  • How I envied Peter his easy, insouciant manner!
  • * 2004 April 26, , " Sean Penn: Necessary Actor," Time :
  • Jack Nicholson . . . turned to an assistant, bummed a cigarette, flashed one of his wolfish, insouciant grins and said, "We all have our little secrets, Seany."

    reticent

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Keeping one's thoughts and opinions to oneself; reserved or restrained.
  • * 1856 , :
  • They are slow and reticent , and are like a dull good horse which lets every nag pass him, but with whip and spur will run down every racer in the field.
  • * 1870 , , ch XXIII:
  • But he was a reticent as well as an eccentric man; and he made no mention of a certain evening when he warmed his hands at the gatehouse fire, and looked steadily down upon a certain heap of torn and miry clothes upon the floor.
  • * 1891 , , ch LIV:
  • She had told him she was not now at Marlott, but had been curiously reticent as to her actual address, and the only course was to go to Marlott and inquire for it.
  • * 1915 , , ch 3:
  • The milkman had been released, I read, and the true criminal, about whose identity the police were reticent , was believed to have got away from London by one of the northern lines.
  • * 1922 , :
  • The inhabitants of that street impressed me peculiarly; At first I thought it was because they were all silent and reticent ; but later decided it was because they were all very old.
  • * 1922 , , ch XXV:
  • But they were not reticent enough to prevent the circulation of certain uneasy rumours and extravagant stories of discreditable adventures.

    Synonyms

    * reserved, restrained, tight-lipped * See also