hold your tongue
Keep it in
To hold your tongue is to refrain from speaking, especially when you're tempted to say something you shouldn't.
The phrase implies self-restraint in the face of provocation or the urge to share unwelcome opinions: I wanted to argue, but I held my tongue.
Often used as a command: Hold your tongue!
- zip itCommand to stop speaking
- zip your lipCommand to stop talking
- pipe downCommand to be silent
- hushAbsence of sound
- muteWithout voice or sound
quiet · reticence · button it · keep mum · tact · tight-lipped · clam up · not a word · taciturnity · silence · shut up · discretion · patience · politeness · shhh · reserve · self-control · lips
- silence commandshush, shh, shush, be quiet, quiet
- tonguetip, root, blade, dorsum, frenulum
- scoldingscold, scolding, rebuke, berate, reprimand
- anger expressionssee red, seeing red, lose your temper, blow a fuse, blow a gasket
- patience phraseswait, just a minute, one moment, one second, in a moment
hold your tonguespeak up
Talk louder or opine
speak out · speak your mind · speak freely · let it out · sound off
hold your tonguespill the beans
Reveal confidential information
blab · blurt out · let the cat out of the bag · tell all · overshare
hold your tonguetalk back
Respond with disrespect
answer back · speak out of turn · challenge · confront · defy
hold, tongue, holder, holding, uphold, withhold, holds, behold, withholding