Bite your tongue.
Bite your tongue.
The idiom 'Bite your tongue' is an instructive phrase suggesting that you should avoid speaking. It originates from the physical act of biting down on one's tongue to prevent oneself from talking. This can be used when you might have something on your mind that could be inappropriate, hurtful, or unnecessary to say at that particular moment. It teaches a valuable lesson in restraint and discretion, emphasizing the importance of considering the consequences before speaking.
He really had to bite his tongue.
He really had to hold back his words.
She bit her tongue to avoid saying something regretful.
She held back from saying something she might regret.
Biting his tongue, he listened quietly to the criticism without reacting.
Holding back, he listened quietly to the criticism without reacting.