Idioms

bite your tongue | hold your tongue

This page is about the idiom bite your tongue | hold your tongue

Meaning

If you bite your tongue, or hold your tongue, you force yourself not to say something you really want to say.

For example

  • I wanted to tell Carlos he was being stupid, but I bit my tongue and just sat there.

  • You're going to have to learn to hold your tongue instead of saying whatever comes into your head.

Note:
These two idioms have the same meaning, though "hold your tongue" is more old-fashioned than "bite your tongue".

Quick Quiz

You really have to hold your tongue, or bite your tongue, when you're being spoken to by

a. some friends at a party

b. a waiter in a restaurant

c. a judge in a courtroom
a) some friends at a party b) a waiter in a restaurant c) a judge in a courtroom
bite your tongue | hold your tongue

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Common English Idioms

Contributor: Matt Errey