“Taciturn” is an adjective commonly applied to a certain type of person — perhaps a curmudgeonly sort of a grump. Synonyms given in the thesaurus include “secretive,” “withdrawn,” “unsociable,” and “sullen.” Why the bad rap? “Taciturn,” meaning “reserved in speech,” comes from the Latin “tacere,” meaning “be silent.” Someone who is quiet and not saying anything might not be grumpy, but they might be shy, or they might not have anything to say. More appropriate synonyms could be “still,” “hushed,” “placid,” and “reserved.”