tongues

noun

plural of tongue
as in languages
the stock of words, pronunciation, and grammar used by a people as their basic means of communication he spoke in a tongue that I didn't understand

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of tongues The sides went back and forth, trading songs in their native tongues, and friendly taunts in English. — Albert Samaha, New Yorker, 6 July 2026 By flicking their tongues, snakes can detect the scent trails left by potential prey, such as rodents or birds, and accurately track and capture them even in the dark or in complex environments. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026 The results have often left me highly frustrated, but also have given me indescribable joy at the fact of having absorbed (although only partially, of course) some of the elusive beauty of those marvelous, magical, mysteriously alluring tongues. — Douglas Hofstadter, Time, 30 June 2026 The scene when Emily Blunt speaks in alien tongues was deeply spooky. — Adam Frank, Forbes.com, 25 June 2026 These are usually fine mesh covers over feeding ports that prevent bees from feeding but allow the birds to stick their tongues through the guards. — Arricca Elin Sansone, Southern Living, 24 June 2026 His supporters rewarded him with a landslide victory, then held their tongues as the Conservative leader bowed to rancorous calls to resign amid the Partygate scandal after three years in office. — Tristan Bove, Fortune, 23 June 2026 Members might be led by the Holy Spirit to speak in tongues or prophesy, for example, or to dance during worship. — Eythana Miller, The Dial, 23 June 2026 Those who cannot twerk usually fall back on sticking their tongues down each other’s throats, because this is Love Island, after all. — Kathleen Walsh, Vulture, 22 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for tongues
  1. languages
  2. vocabularies
  3. dialects
  4. idioms
Noun
  • Minionese blends fragments of half a dozen languages, English, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, and others, so the dialogue would feel familiar to audiences everywhere rather than tied to any one country.
    — David Deal, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
  • They can also be used for de-aging characters, creating performances in different languages, or preserving the voice or likeness of an actor whose health is deteriorating, as was the case with CAA client Eric Dane.
    — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 6 July 2026
Definition of languages
Noun
  • This gap can help explain why some children’s vocabularies grow so much faster than others.
    — Michelle Kearney, The Conversation, 7 July 2026
  • Do the formal vocabularies that are supposed to encode my field actually capture how the people in it think?
    — John Drake, Forbes.com, 30 June 2026
Definition of vocabularies
Noun
  • Unlike the brighter, more melodic style often associated with Austria and the Tyrol region, Swiss yodeling is slower and more melancholic — an emotionally nuanced tradition rooted in distinct regional dialects.
    — Jez Fielder, Fortune, 30 June 2026
  • Unlike the brighter, more melodic style often associated with Austria and the Tyrol region, Swiss yodeling is slower and more melancholic — an emotionally nuanced tradition rooted in distinct regional dialects.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 29 June 2026
Definition of dialects
Noun
  • On the one hand, the translation serves as a source for the idioms of nineteenth-century English; on the other, as evidence of the ideas that the translator held about a Colombian woman writer.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 July 2026
  • The film’s look is inspired by ink wash paintings and wood blocks, moving fluidly between different visual idioms.
    — Jordan Hoffman, Entertainment Weekly, 1 July 2026
Definition of idioms

Browse Nearby Words

tongueless
tongues
tongue-tied
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Cite this Entry

“Tongues.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/tongues. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

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Nglish: Translation of tongues for Spanish Speakers

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