English

Verb

bite one's tongue

1. (idiomatic) To forcibly prevent oneself from speaking, especially in order to avoid saying something inappropriate or likely to cause a dispute.

   After the biting, bigoted comments she made about homosexuals, I wanted to scream at her, but I bit my tongue instead.

Usage notes

• Often used in the imperative mood, to admonish someone who has said something unfeeling or harsh:

Bite your tongue! She has enough on her mind without having to worry about comments like that from you.

Synonyms

• bite one's lip

Translations