man/woman of few words

noun phrase

: a man/woman who does not talk very much
My grandfather was a man of few words.

Examples of man/woman of few words in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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.
The director similarly molds F1 around his star’s more reluctant image: Pitt portrays a man of few words who seems nostalgic for simpler times in his industry. David Sims, The Atlantic, 28 June 2025 Pivetta is a man of few words, and almost none of those words are ever expended making excuses. Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 June 2025 Pittsburgh Pirates superstar pitcher Paul Skenes is known to be a man of few words. Noah Camras, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 May 2025 Outside of his poetic lyrics about the human condition, Springsteen — a 20-time Grammy-winner — has been a man of few words. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 25 Apr. 2025 Dorrigo is a man of few words — as many men of that generation are — who, for better or worse, processes most of his emotions in silence. Katie Campione, Deadline, 21 Apr. 2025 Many said that the romantic language sounded off for the man of few words. Madeleine Marr, Miami Herald, 24 Mar. 2025 But for a man of few words in front of an audience, his music is ripe with satire and vulnerability, and his live performance is riddled with excessive performances of emotion, from his pained facial expressions, hand gestures and smooth dance moves. Alyssa Goldberg, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2025 But having experiences matters far more to Zoe, a woman of few words, than analyzing them verbally with me. Jim Higgins, Journal Sentinel, 11 Feb. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Man/woman of few words.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/man%2Fwoman%20of%20few%20words. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster