tongue-tied

1 of 2

adjective

ˈtəŋ-ˌtīd 

1

: unable or disinclined to speak freely (as from shyness)

2

: affected with tongue-tie

tongue-tied

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of tongue-tie entry 1

Examples of tongue-tied in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

My two companions—one of whom was Alabaster—seemed a bit tongue-tied. — Literary Hub, 22 July 2026

But on April 24, Stanford got tongue-tied when asked to explain her position on abolishing ICE. — David Weigel, semafor.com, 18 May 2026

At times, Raman was tongue-tied trying to answer simple questions. — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1529, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for tongue-tied

• actinide
• aldehyde
• alkoxide
• alongside
• amplified
• arsenide
• beautified
• biocide
• bisulphide
• butoxide
• calcified
• ceramide

Kids Definition

tongue-tied

adjective

-ˌtīd

: unable to speak clearly or freely (as from shyness)

Medical Definition

tongue-tied

adjective

ˈtəŋ-ˌtīd 

: characteristic of or affected with tongue-tie