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Definition of "tongue-tied" [tongue•-tied]

  • Speechless or confused in expression, as from shyness, embarrassment, or astonishment. (adjective)
  • Affected with tongue-tie. (adjective)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Use "tongue-tied" in a sentence
  • "I have ever been tongue-tied with the king, and I have never been able to play anything."
  • "Never had a guy made me feel so flustered, so completely tongue-tied, so . . . so hyperaware and self-conscious as this one did."
  • "When I tried to do what they wanted, I was a tongue-tied mess."