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

Panic rose, and suddenly, she was back in front of the class; everybody was staring at her, and she was tongue-tied.

From Literature

You couldn’t be tongue-tied nor catch a case of lockjaw, or Tansy would give you an F. She was quick with her F’s.

From Literature

The invitation was so unexpected that I blinked at her, tongue-tied, then glanced at James.

From Literature

Yet, that she made it at all makes every frame feel personal, and you hear her affection for the cadence of her occasionally tongue-tied subjects.

From Los Angeles Times

Make it five minutes,” the software would, in theory, be able to figure out what the tongue-tied person meant to say.

From Los Angeles Times