tongue-tied

American  

[tuhng-tahyd] / ˈtʌŋˌtaɪd /

adjective

1. unable to speak, as from shyness, embarrassment, or surprise.

2. affected with tongue-tie.

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tongue-tied British  

adjective

1. speechless, esp with embarrassment or shyness

2. having a condition of tongue-tie

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Etymology

Origin of tongue-tied

First recorded in 1520–30; tongue + tie ( def. ) + -ed ² ( def. )

Example Sentences

Heinicke, a 10-year NFL veteran, has spent the last three weeks learning the complex scheme that at first had him tongue-tied while calling out a play.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 20, 2024

Still others remained tongue-tied about the “quandary” at hand, as Florida Sen. Marco Rubio put it.

From Slate • Feb. 27, 2024

Giamatti watchers may have a hard time imagining the actor tongue-tied.

From New York Times • Jan. 7, 2024

Speech production is a complex neural phenomenon that has left researchers explaining it tongue-tied.

From Science Daily • Oct. 11, 2023

It must have been only publicly that the nation was tongue-tied.

From "Travels with Charley in Search of America" by John Steinbeck