to bite your tongue
Idiom Definition:
"to bite your tongue"
to make a conscious effort to not say anything, usually for the sake of politeness or peace
Has someone literally bitten their tongue? - - - - -> 
Idiom Scenario 1:
Ned's mother, Anna, is coming to visit Ned and Grace. Usually, when Anna comes, Grace and Anna argue a lot. This visit, Grace is determined that she will stay calm and not argue with her mother-in-law. Grace is going to...
bite her tongue
when her mother-in-law tries to start an argument.
Idiom Scenario 2:
Sam loves to play soccer. In fact, Sam plays for his local amateur soccer team. They play ever Sunday afternoon. One Sunday afternoon during a soccer match, the referee makes a very bad error in judgement and gives Sam a penalty that could make Sam's team lose the game. Instead of arguing with the referee and possibly being removed from the game, Sam decides to...
bite his tongue
and suffer with the consequences.
Idiom Scenario 3:
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Idiom Usage:
In the imperative:
"Bite your tongue"
Gerund Form of the Idiom:
Biting your tongue can sometimes be difficult.
Idiom Conjugations:
to bite your tongue
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I bite my tongue if I want to avoid an argument. |
I do not bite my tongue if I do not want to avoid an argument. |
Do I bite my tongue if I want to avoid an argument? |
| Second-singular (you) | You bite your tongue when you want to protect another person's feelings. |
You do not bite your tongue when you want to protect another person's feelings. |
Do you bite your tongue when you want to protect another person's feelings? |
| Third-singular (he) | He bites his tongue when his wife complains about him. |
He does not bite his tongue when his wife complains about him. |
Does he bite his tongue when his wife complains about him? |
| Third-singular (she) | She bites her tongue when she argues with her mother-in-law. |
She does not bite her tongue when she argues with her mother-in-law. |
Does she bite her tongue when she argues with her mother-in-law? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We bite our tongues when the referee makes a bad decision. |
We do not bite our tongues when the referee makes a bad decision. |
Do we bite our tongues when the referee makes a bad decision? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) bite your tongues when you know you (all) are too angry to speak. |
You (all) do not bite your tongues when you know you (all) are too angry to speak. |
Do you (all) bite your tongues when you know you (all) are too angry to speak? |
| Third-plural (they) | They bite their tongues when the boss is wrong. |
They do not bite their tongues when the boss is wrong. |
Do they bite their tongues when the boss is wrong? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I am biting my tongue about that subject right now. |
I am not biting my tongue about that subject right now. |
Am I biting my tongue about that subject right now? |
| Second-singular (you) | You are biting your tongue about that subject right now. |
You are not biting your tongue about that subject right now. |
Are you biting your tongue about that subject right now? |
| Third-singular (he) | He is biting his tongue about that subject right now. |
He is not biting his tongue about that subject right now. |
Is he biting his tongue about that subject right now? |
| Third-singular (she) | She is biting her tongue about that subject right now. |
She is not biting her tongue about that subject right now. |
Is she biting her tongue about that subject right now? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We are biting our tongues about that subject right now. |
We are not biting our tongues about that subject right now. |
Are we biting our tongues about that subject right now? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) are biting your tongues about that subject right now. |
You are (all) not biting your tongues about that subject right now. |
Are you (all) biting your tongues about that subject right now? |
| Third-plural (they) | They are biting their tongues about that subject right now. |
They are not biting their tongues about that subject right now. |
Are they biting their tongues about that subject right now? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I have bitten my tongue when necessary. |
I have not bitten my tongue when necessary. |
Have I bitten my tongue when necessary? |
| Second-singular (you) | You have bitten your tongue when necessary. |
You have not bitten your tongue when necessary. |
Have you bitten your tongue when necessary? |
| Third-singular (he) | He has bitten his tongue when necessary. |
He has not bitten his tongue when necessary. |
Has he bitten his tongue when necessary? |
| Third-singular (she) | She has bitten her tongue when necessary. |
She has not bitten her tongue when necessary. |
Has she bitten her tongue when necessary? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We have bitten our tongues when necessary. |
We have not bitten our tongues when necessary. |
Have we bitten our tongues when necessary? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) have bitten your tongues when necessary. |
You (all) have not bitten your tongues when necessary. |
Have you (all) bitten your tongues when necessary? |
| Third-plural (they) | They have bitten their tongues when necessary. |
They have not bitten their tongues when necessary. |
Have they bitten their tongues when necessary? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I have been biting my tongue all day. |
I have not been biting my tongue all day. |
Have I been biting my tongue all day? |
| Second-singular (you) | You have been biting your tongue all day. |
You have not been biting your tongue all day. |
Have you been biting your tongue all day? |
| Third-singular (he) | He has been biting his tongue all day. |
He has not been biting his tongue all day. |
Has he been biting his tongue all day? |
| Third-singular (she) | She has been biting her tongue all day. |
She has not been biting her tongue all day. |
Has she been biting her tongue all day? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We have been biting our tongues all day. |
We have not been biting our tongues all day. |
Have we been biting our tongues all day? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) have been biting your tongues all day. |
You (all) have not been biting your tongues all day. |
Have you (all) been biting your tongues all day? |
| Third-plural (they) | They have been biting their tongues all day. |
They have not been biting their tongues all day. |
Have they been biting their tongues all day? |
to bite your tongue
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I bit my tongue at the meeting last Saturday. |
I did not bite my tongue at the meeting last Saturday. |
Did I bite my tongue at the meeting last Saturday? |
| Second-singular (you) | You bit your tongue at the meeting last Saturday. |
You did not bite your tongue at the meeting last Saturday. |
Did you bite your tongue at the meeting last Saturday? |
| Third-singular (he) | He bit his tongue at the meeting last Saturday. |
He did not bite his tongue at the meeting last Saturday. |
Did he bite his tongue at the meeting last Saturday? |
| Third-singular (she) | She bit her tongue at the meeting last Saturday. |
She did not bite her tongue at the meeting last Saturday. |
Did she bite her tongue at the meeting last Saturday? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We bit our tongues at the meeting last Saturday. |
We did not bite our tongues at the meeting last Saturday. |
Did we bite our tongues at the meeting last Saturday? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) bit your tongues at the meeting last Saturday. |
You (all) did not bite your tongues at the meeting last Saturday. |
Did you (all) bite your tongues at the meeting last Saturday? |
| Third-plural (they) | They bit their tongues at the meeting last Saturday. |
They did not bite their tongues at the meeting last Saturday. |
Did they bite their tongues at the meeting last Saturday? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I was biting my tongue all the way through the last meeting. |
I was not biting my tongue all the way through the last meeting. |
Was I biting my tongue all the way through the last meeting? |
| Second-singular (you) | You were biting your tongue all the way through the last meeting. |
You were not biting your tongue all the way through the last meeting. |
Were you biting your tongue all the way through the last meeting? |
| Third-singular (he) | He was biting his tongue all the way through the last meeting. |
He was not biting his tongue all the way through the last meeting. |
Was he biting his tongue all the way through the last meeting? |
| Third-singular (she) | She was biting her tongue all the way through the last meeting. |
She was not biting her tongue all the way through the last meeting. |
Was she biting her tongue all the way through the last meeting? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We were biting our tongues all the way through the last meeting. |
We were not biting our tongues all the way through the last meeting. |
Were we biting our tongues all the way through the last meeting? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) were biting your tongues all the way through the last meeting. |
You (all) were not biting your tongues all the way through the last meeting. |
Were you (all) biting your tongues all the way through the last meeting? |
| Third-plural (they) | They were biting their tongues all the way through the last meeting. |
They were not biting their tongues all the way through the last meeting. |
Were they biting their tongues all the way through the last meeting? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I had bitten my tongue before the situation became worse. |
I had not bitten my tongue before the situation became worse. |
Had I bitten my tongue before the situation became worse? |
| Second-singular (you) | You had bitten your tongue before the situation became worse. |
You had not bitten your tongue before the situation became worse. |
Had you bitten your tongue before the situation became worse? |
| Third-singular (he) | He had bitten his tongue before the situation became worse. |
He had not bitten his tongue before the situation became worse. |
Had he bitten his tongue before the situation became worse? |
| Third-singular (she) | She had bitten her tongue before the situation became worse. |
She had not bitten her tongue before the situation became worse. |
Had she bitten her tongue before the situation became worse? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We had bitten our tongues before the situation became worse. |
We had not bitten our tongues before the situation became worse. |
Had we bitten our tongues before the situation became worse? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) had bitten your tongues before the situation became worse. |
You (all) had not bitten your tongues before the situation became worse. |
Had you (all) bitten your tongues before the situation became worse? |
| Third-plural (they) | They had bitten their tongues before the situation became worse. |
They had not bitten their tongues before the situation became worse. |
Had they bitten their tongues before the situation became worse? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I had been biting my tongue all through the meeting until the insults began. |
I had not been biting my tongue all through the meeting. |
Had I been biting my tongue all through the meeting until the insults began? |
| Second-singular (you) | You had been biting your tongue all through the meeting until the insults began. |
You had not been biting your tongue all through the meeting. |
Had you been biting your tongue all through the meeting until the insults began? |
| Third-singular (he) | He had been biting his tongue all through the meeting until the insults began. |
He had not been biting his tongue all through the meeting. |
Had he been biting his tongue all through the meeting until the insults began? |
| Third-singular (she) | She had been biting her tongue all through the meeting until the insults began. |
She had not been biting her tongue all through the meeting. |
Had she been biting her tongue all through the meeting until the insults began? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We had been biting our tongues all through the meeting until the insults began. |
We had not been biting our tongues all through the meeting. |
Had we been biting our tongues all through the meeting until the insults began? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) had been biting your tongues all through the meeting until the insults began. |
You (all) had not been biting your tongues all through the meeting. |
Had you (all) been biting your tongues all through the meeting until the insults began? |
| Third-plural (they) | They had been biting their tongues all through the meeting until the insults began. |
They had not been biting their tongues all through the meeting. |
Had they been biting their tongues all through the meeting until the insults began? |
to bite your tongue
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I will bite my tongue when she comes to visit. I am going to bite my tongue when she comes to visit. |
I will not bite my tongue when she comes to visit. I am not going to bite my tongue when she comes to visit. |
Will I bite my tongue when she comes to visit? Am I going to bite my tongue when she comes to visit? |
| Second-singular (you) | You will bite your tongue when she comes to visit. You are going to bite your tongue when she comes to visit. |
You will not bite your tongue when she comes to visit. You are not going to bite your tongue when she comes to visit. |
Will you bite your tongue when she comes to visit? Are you going to bite your tongue when she comes to visit? |
| Third-singular (he) | He will bite his tongue when she comes to visit. He is going to bite his tongue when she comes to visit. |
He will not bite his tongue when she comes to visit. He is not going to bite his tongue when she comes to visit. |
Will he bite his tongue when she comes to visit? Is he going to bite his tongue when she comes to visit? |
| Third-singular (she) | She will bite her tongue when she comes to visit. She is going to bite her tongue when she comes to visit. |
She will not bite her tongue when she comes to visit. She is not going to bite her tongue when she comes to visit. |
Will she bite her tongue when she comes to visit? Is she going to bite her tongue when she comes to visit? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We will bite our tongues when she comes to visit. We are going to bite our tongues when she comes to visit. |
We will not bite our tongues when she comes to visit. We are not going to bite our tongues when she comes to visit. |
Will we bite our tongues when she comes to visit? Are we going to bite our tongues when she comes to visit? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) will bite your tongues when she comes to visit. You (all) are going to bite your tongues when she comes to visit. |
You (all) will not bite your tongues when she comes to visit. You (all) are not going to bite your tongues when she comes to visit. |
Will you (all) bite your tongues when she comes to visit? Are you (all) going to bite your tongues when she comes to visit? |
| Third-plural (they) | They will bite their tongues when she comes to visit. They are going to bite their tongues when she comes to visit. |
They will not bite their tongues when she comes to visit. They are not going to bite their tongues when she comes to visit. |
Will they bite their tongues when she comes to visit? Are they going to bite their tongues when she comes to visit? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I will be biting my tongue during her next visit. I am going to be biting my tongue during her next visit. |
I will not be biting my tongue during her next visit. I am not going to be biting my tongue during her next visit. |
Will I be biting my tongue during her next visit? Am I going to be biting my tongue during her next visit? |
| Second-singular (you) | You will be biting your tongue during her next visit. You are going to be biting your tongue during her next visit. |
You will not be biting your tongue during her next visit . You are not going to be biting your tongue during her next visit. |
Will you be biting your tongue during her next visit? Are you going to be biting your tongue during her next visit? |
| Third-singular (he) | He will be biting his tongue during her next visit. He is going to be biting his tongue during her next visit. |
He will not be biting his tongue during her next visit. He is not going to be biting his tongue during her next visit. |
Will he be biting his tongue during her next visit? Is he going to be biting his tongue during her next visit? |
| Third-singular (she) | She will be biting her tongue during her next visit. She is going to be biting her tongue during her next visit. |
She will not be biting her tongue during her next visit . She is not going to be biting her tongue during her next visit. |
Will she be biting her tongue during her next visit? Is she going to be biting her tongue during her next visit? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We will be biting our tongues during her next visit. We are going to be biting our tongues during her next visit. |
We will not be biting our tongues during her next visit. We are not going to be biting our tongues during her next visit. |
Will we be biting our tongues during her next visit? Are we going to be biting our tongues during her next visit? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) will be biting your tongues during her next visit. You (all) are going to be biting your tongues during her next visit. |
You (all) will not be biting your tongues during her next visit. You (all) are not going to be biting your tongues during her next visit. |
Will you (all) be biting your tongues during her next visit? Are you (all) going to be biting your tongues during her next visit? |
| Third-plural (they) | They will be biting their tongues during her next visit. They are going to be biting their tongues during her next visit. |
They will not be biting their tongues during her next visit. They are not going to be biting their tongues during her next visit. |
Will they be biting their tongues during her next visit? Are they going to be biting their tongues during her next visit? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I will have bitten my tongue many times before the visit is over. I am going to have bitten my tongue many times before the visit is over. |
I will not have bitten my tongue many times before the visit is over. I am not going to have bitten my tongue many times before the visit is over. |
Will I have bitten my tongue many times before the visit is over? Am I going to have bitten my tongue many times before the visit is over? |
| Second-singular (you) | You will have bitten your tongue many times before the visit is over. You are going to have bitten your tongue many times before the visit is over. |
You will not have bitten your tongue many times before the visit is over. You are not going to have bitten your tongue many times before the visit is over. |
Will you have bitten your tongue many times before the visit is over? Are you going to have bitten your tongue many times before the visit is over? |
| Third-singular (he) | He will have bitten his tongue many times before the visit is over. He is going to have bitten his tongue many times before the visit is over. |
He will not have bitten his tongue many times before the visit is over. He is not going to have bitten his tongue many times before the visit is over. |
Will he have bitten his tongue many times before the visit is over? Is he going to have bitten his tongue many times before the visit is over? |
| Third-singular (she) | She will have bitten her tongue many times before the visit is over. She is going to have bitten her tongue many times before the visit is over. |
She will not have bitten her tongue many times before the visit is over. She is not going to have bitten her tongue many times before the visit is over. |
Will she have bitten her tongue many times before the visit is over? Is she going to have bitten her tongue many times before the visit is over? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We will have bitten our tongues many times before the visit is over. We are going to have bitten our tongues many times before the visit is over. |
We will not have bitten our tongues many times before the visit is over. We are not going to have bitten our tongues many times before the visit is over . |
Will we have bitten our tongues many times before the visit is over? Are we going to have bitten our tongues many times before the visit is over? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) will have bitten your tongues many times before the visit is over. You (all) are going to have bitten your tongues many times before the visit is over. |
You (all) will not have bitten your tongues many times before the visit is over. You (all) are not going to have bitten your tongues many times before the visit is over. |
Will you (all) have bitten your tongues many times before the visit is over? Are you (all) going to have bitten your tongues many times before the visit is over?
|
| Third-plural (they) | They will have bitten their tongues many times before the visit is over. They are going to have bitten their tongues many times before the visit is over. |
They will not have bitten their tongues many times before the visit is over. They are not going to have bitten their tongues many times before the visit is over. |
Will they have bitten their tongues many times before the visit is over? Are they going to have bitten their tongues many times before the visit is over? |
| PERSON | idiom in the positive | idiom in the negative | idiom as a question |
|---|---|---|---|
| First-singular (I) | I will have been biting my tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. I am going to have been biting my tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
I will not have been biting my tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. I am not going to have been biting my tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
Will I have been biting my tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over? Am I going to have been biting my tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over? |
| Second-singular (you) | You will have been biting your tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. You are going to have been biting your tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
You will not have been biting your tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. You are not going to have been biting your tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
Will you have been biting your tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over? Are you going to have been biting your tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over? |
| Third-singular (he) | He will have been biting his tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. He is going to have been biting his tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
He will not have been biting his tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. He is not going to have been biting his tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
Will he have been biting his tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over? Is he going to have been biting his tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over? |
| Third-singular (she) | She will have been biting her tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. She is going to have been biting her tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
She will not have been biting her tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. She is not going to have been biting her tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
Will she have been biting her tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over? Is she going to have been biting her tongue for the entire visit by the time it is over? |
| Third-singular (it) | not applicable |
not applicable |
not applicable |
| First-plural (we) | We will have been biting our tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. We are going to have been biting our tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
We will not have been biting our tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. We are not going to have been biting our tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
Will we have been biting our tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over? Are we going to have been biting our tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over? |
| Second-plural (you all) | You (all) will have been biting your tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. You (all) are going to have been biting your tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
You (all) will not have been biting your tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. You (all) are not going to have been biting your tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
Will you (all) have been biting your tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over? Are you (all) going to have been biting your tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over? |
| Third-plural (they) | They will have been biting their tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. They are going to have been biting their tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
They will not have been biting their tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. They are not going to have been biting their tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over. |
Will they have been biting their tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over? Are they going to have been biting their tongues for the entire visit by the time it is over? |
