Tongue Tied
adjective
Definition
1. Unable to speak or express yourself because you feel shy, nervous, or embarrassed.
2. Having a medical condition where tissue under the tongue restricts its movement.
2. Having a medical condition where tissue under the tongue restricts its movement.
Context Alive
He had practised his speech a hundred times in front of the mirror. But standing in front of the whole school, he suddenly felt completely tongue tied and couldn’t get a single word out. His mind went blank and his mouth just wouldn’t cooperate.
Meanings
2 meanings 1 Unable to Speak from Nervousness or Shyness (Adjective) Very Common ▼
This meaning is about being unable to say what you want because you feel nervous, shy, or embarrassed. Imagine meeting your favourite celebrity in a coffee shop. You want to say something cool, but you just stand there, completely tongue tied, unable to form a single sentence. This is that frozen, awkward feeling when your brain has words but your mouth won’t cooperate. You might say “I get tongue tied whenever I talk to my boss” or someone could admit “I was so tongue tied on our first date that I barely said anything.” Or picture a student who knows the answer perfectly but becomes tongue tied the moment the teacher calls on them in front of the class. The word carries a sense of frustration — you want to speak but something inside blocks you. ✏️ People often become tongue tied around authority figures, crushes, or in high-pressure moments — it’s a very universal human experience.
Vivid ExampleShe had planned exactly what to say when she saw him again. But the moment he walked through the door, she became completely tongue tied and just smiled awkwardly. All those rehearsed words disappeared in an instant.
2 Having a Medical Condition Restricting Tongue Movement (Adjective) Less Common ▼
This meaning is about a physical condition where a short or tight piece of tissue under the tongue limits how far it can move. Imagine a newborn baby who has trouble breastfeeding because the tissue under their tongue is too tight — a doctor examines them and says the baby is tongue tied. This is a medical use of the word, describing a real physical restriction. You might hear “the baby was tongue tied so the doctor did a small procedure to fix it” or a parent could say “we found out our son was tongue tied at his first check-up.” Or think about a child who has difficulty pronouncing certain sounds because they’re tongue tied and their tongue can’t reach the right positions. The word describes a treatable physical condition. ✏️ The medical term is “ankyloglossia” — it’s quite common in newborns and is usually fixed with a simple, quick procedure.
Vivid ExampleThe new parents were worried because their baby kept struggling to feed properly. The doctor explained that the baby was tongue tied and needed a minor procedure. Within a week after the treatment, feeding became much easier for everyone.
Examples from the Street
“I completely froze when she asked me a question — I was tongue-tied.”
I panicked when she put me on the spot — I couldn’t get any words out
“He gets tongue-tied around his boss and can never say what he actually means.”
He becomes nervous and unable to speak clearly whenever his manager is around, and never manages to express his real thoughts
“Don’t be tongue-tied — just tell them how you feel.”
Don’t let nervousness stop you from speaking — just say what’s on your mind
Common Patterns
be/feel/get tongue-tied → be unable to speak clearly or at all because of nervousness
completely/totally tongue-tied → entirely unable to get words out due to anxiety or embarrassment
tongue-tied around someone → unable to speak properly in a particular person’s presence
tongue-tied with nerves/embarrassment/shyness → unable to speak because a specific emotion is blocking you
don’t be tongue-tied → don’t let nervousness prevent you from speaking (encouragement)
leave someone tongue-tied → cause a person to become speechless through intimidation, beauty, or surprise
get tongue-tied (trying to say something) → stumble over words because they’re physically difficult to pronounce
tongue-tied over a word/name/phrase → unable to produce a particular word or combination of sounds clearly
Collocations
2 collocationsget tongue-tied
be unable to speak clearly due to nervousness
left tongue-tied
made speechless by surprise or embarrassment
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
I’d rehearsed what I wanted to say, but when I stood up, I was completely tongue-tied
I’d practised my words in advance, but the moment I got to my feet, I froze and couldn’t produce a single sentence.
2
She gets tongue-tied around attractive people — she goes bright red and forgets how to form sentences
She becomes unable to speak clearly when good-looking people are nearby — her face turns scarlet and she loses the ability to put words together.
3
He was so tongue-tied with nerves during the interview that he couldn’t even answer the first question properly
He was so paralysed by anxiety during the job discussion that he failed to respond to even the opening question coherently.
4
Don’t be tongue-tied — you know the answer, just take a breath and say it
Don’t let your nervousness stop you from talking — you have the knowledge, just pause, calm down, and speak.
5
Her beauty left him tongue-tied — he opened his mouth but nothing came out
Her appearance rendered him completely speechless — he tried to speak but no words would come.
6
I always feel tongue-tied at networking events — I never know how to start conversations with strangers
I always struggle to speak at professional social gatherings — I can never figure out how to begin talking to people I’ve never met.
7
The actor was charming on screen but surprisingly tongue-tied in real-life interviews
The performer was confident and articulate in films but unexpectedly nervous and unable to express himself during actual conversations with journalists.
8
I tried to explain the situation to the police officer, but I was so shaken I got tongue-tied and kept stumbling over my words
I attempted to describe what happened to the law enforcement officer, but I was so rattled that I couldn’t speak clearly and kept tripping over what I was trying to say.
9
She got tongue-tied trying to pronounce the Welsh village name Llanfairpwllgwyngyll
She stumbled and couldn’t get her mouth around the sounds when attempting to say the name of the village in Wales.
10
Public speaking leaves even the most confident people tongue-tied sometimes — it’s nothing to be ashamed of
Addressing an audience renders even the most self-assured individuals speechless on occasion — there’s no reason to feel embarrassed about it.
Learner Examples
★
Many students get tongue-tied when they’re called on unexpectedly in class — giving them a moment to prepare before speaking makes a huge difference
A lot of pupils freeze and can’t get their words out when they’re asked to speak without warning during a lesson — allowing them a brief pause to gather their thoughts beforehand changes everything.
★
Feeling tongue-tied in a foreign language is completely normal — even advanced learners experience moments when the right words simply won’t come
Being unable to speak clearly in a second language is entirely expected — even highly proficient students go through moments when the correct expressions simply refuse to appear.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
1 item Idioms & Expressionscat got your tongue — why are you not speaking
Why so quiet? Has the cat got your tongue today?
Synonyms & Antonyms
6 items
Synonymsspeechless
unable to speak
at a loss for words
can't find what to say
mute
silent
lost for words
British, can't express
Antonymsarticulate
able to express clearly
eloquent
speaking well