# man of few words

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/man-of-few-words
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A man who doesn't speak much; a habitually terse or taciturn man.

## Examples

- My grandfather is a man of few words.
- He is a man of few words, so he rarely speaks during our long family dinners.
- Although he was a man of few words, his rare comments always carried significant weight and wisdom during the board meeting.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.