Tongue-tied
adj, verb ·Uncommon ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 simple past and past participle of tongue-tie form-of, participle, past
- 1 Having tongue-tie or ankyloglossia (“a congenital oral anomaly in which the lingual frenulum (a membrane connecting the underside of the tongue to the floor of the mouth) is unusually short and thick, decreasing mobility of the tongue and affecting eating, speech, etc.”).
- 2 Prevented from or unable to express oneself clearly or fluently, or freely; at a loss for words, speechless. figuratively
"But it ſeemes to mee that Dauid meeneth cheefly, that among the blaſphemies of his foes wherewith they endeuered too ouerwhelme hys Faythe, he himſelfe was not tungtyde: but rather lifted vp his voyce vnto God, whom the vngodly ſurmiſed to haue bin turned against him."
- 3 Reluctant to speak up; reserved, reticent. figuratively
"I was all this while chafing at the part I played, and sitting tongue-tied between shame and merriment; but somehow at this I could hold in no longer, and bade Alan let me be, for I was better already."
- 4 Physically unable to speak; dumb, mute. figuratively, poetic
- 1 unable to express yourself clearly or fluently wordnet
Example
More examples"I may seem confident, but I get extremely nervous speaking in front of people. My hands tremble, I get all tongue-tied, and sometimes I don't even know what I'm saying myself."
Etymology
From tongue + tied (“restricted”, adjective).
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.