foot-in-mouth
Americanadjective
Etymology
Origin of foot-in-mouth
First recorded in 1965–70; from idiomatic phrase put one's foot in one's mouth
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
A series of foot-in-mouth appearances early in the administration shook Harris’ confidence, which led to further missteps, which threw her further off keel.
From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 21, 2024
Gaffes helped derail his previous presidential campaigns, in 1988 and 2008, and his chronic foot-in-mouth condition flared up again this week.
From Washington Post • Jun. 21, 2019
Had The Office been a conventional sitcom, it wouldn’t have lingered so long on David Brent’s foot-in-mouth moments, or Tim’s fluffed passes at Dawn.
From The Guardian • Nov. 12, 2018
She had a difficult time disproving attacks on her record in public office and a real foot-in-mouth moment during a discussion about police endorsements.
From Slate • Oct. 19, 2016
Jonah, afflicted with chronic foot-in-mouth syndrome—because he’s kind of an asshole—tells Amy that he’s not the kind of person you’d expect to be working at Cloud 9, thinking that she is a random customer.
From Salon • Nov. 30, 2015
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
