English Reference
Idiom idiom

woman of few words


A woman who either does not speak much or speaks only for a brief period of time.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

My grandmother is a woman of few words.

CONTEXTUAL

She is a woman of few words, but when she speaks, everyone listens carefully.

COMPLEX

Although she was a woman of few words, her brief, thoughtful comments often provided the clarity the committee desperately needed.


By analogy with man of few words.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    bad word

    A vulgar word.

  2. 02

    breathe a word

    To divulge even part of a secret (usually used with a negative).

  3. 03

    comfort woman

    A woman forced, or supposedly recruited, into brothels by the Japanese occupation forces before or during World War II.

  4. 04

    dicky

    [Cockney slang]word

  5. 05

    dirty word

    The name of a topic that a person prefers not to hear or discuss.

  6. 06

    dried-fish woman

    A woman, especially a young one, who lacks a significant other.

  7. 07

    empty words

    Any type of talk with little meaning; a message that seems to contain meaningful content but is actually vapid.

  8. 08

    from the word go

    From the very beginning; from the outset; immediately upon starting.

Last updated August 10, 2026