tight

Tight is an English term with multiple senses centered on firmness, proximity, and constraint. Literally, something tight is held firmly in place or is not loose. A tight seal prevents leakage; a tight lid stays on; a tight fit means an object fits snugly in another. Tight can describe spaces that are difficult to move through or that restrict movement, such as a tight squeeze or a tight corridor.

In describing relationships or groups, tight can indicate closeness or cohesion. A tight-knit community or a tight group suggests strong bonds among members. In planning and finance, tight conveys constraint: a tight budget, a tight deadline, or tight security.

In slang, tight can mean intoxicated or under the influence. It can also mean impressive or well-executed in informal speech, as in a tight performance or a tight beat.

In technical contexts, tight describes precision or optimality. A tight bound or a tight bound on an error is one that cannot be substantially improved. In programming, a tight loop refers to a simple, highly efficient loop with minimal overhead. In statistics or mathematics, the term can describe a bound or inequality that is exact or nearly exact.

Usage varies by region and formality; some senses are informal or idiomatic. Across its senses, tight preserves core ideas of firmness, closeness, or boundedness, while extending metaphorically to judgments about quality, efficiency, or social cohesion.