tongue-tied
English
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tongue-tied
- /ˈtʌŋtaɪd/ US, UK
Where it comes from
From tongue + tied (“restricted”, adjective).
adjective more tongue-tied · most tongue-tied
- 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.”).
- Prevented from or unable to express oneself clearly or fluently, or freely; at a loss for words, speechless. 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.
- Reluctant to speak up; reserved, reticent. 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.
- Physically unable to speak; dumb, mute.
verb
- simple past and past participle of tongue-tie
Translations
Every language
adj unable to express oneself clearly or fluently — see also at a loss for words, speechless
| 日本語 | 口籠もった kuchigomotta |
|---|---|
| Français | sans voix |
| Deutsch | Sprachlos |
| Română | încuiat |
| Русский | косноязы́чный kosnojazýčnyj |
Talk about this word "tongue-tied." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/tongue-tied. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. tongue-tied. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/tongue-tied "tongue-tied." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/tongue-tied.Cite this
@misc{tongue_tied_2026,
title = {tongue-tied},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/tongue-tied},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
