bite your tongue

Meaning

To 'bite your tongue' means to make a conscious effort to stop yourself from saying something that might be offensive, hurtful, or inappropriate. It is used when you have a strong urge to speak but choose silence to avoid conflict.

Examples

• I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling him what I really thought of his idea.

  I had to bite my tongue to keep from telling him what I really thought of his idea.

• She bit her tongue when her mother-in-law criticized her cooking.

  She bit her tongue when her mother-in-law criticized her cooking.

• If you can't say anything nice, it's better to bite your tongue.

  If you can't say anything nice, it's better to bite your tongue.

• I wanted to correct his grammar, but I bit my tongue.

  I wanted to correct his grammar, but I bit my tongue.

• He had to bite his tongue during the meeting to avoid starting an argument.

  He had to bite his tongue during the meeting to avoid starting an argument.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I had to bite my mouth when they started gossiping.

  ✓ I had to bite my tongue when they started gossiping.

  The idiom specifically uses 'tongue,' not 'mouth' or 'lips.'

• ✗ She bit her tongue from saying the truth.

  ✓ She bit her tongue to keep from saying the truth.

  'Bite your tongue' is usually followed by an infinitive phrase (like 'to keep from...' or 'to avoid...') rather than 'from + -ing' directly.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I wanted to tell him he was wrong, but I decided to ___.

  💡 First-person singular form (present/infinitive)

  Show answer

  bite my tongue

• She ___ to avoid starting a family argument at dinner.

  💡 Past tense

  Show answer

  bit her tongue