one's heart in one's mouth

English

Pronunciation

Audio (AU) (file)

Noun

one's heart in one's mouth

(idiomatic) A state of dread.
I rang the doorbell and waited with my heart in my mouth.

I had my heart in my mouth while I waited for news of my son.
- 2023 October 28, Leighton Koopman, “YES!!! The Springboks beat the All Blacks to win another Rugby World Cup title”, in Independent Online‎:
  Winger Cheslin Kolbe, sitting with his jersey over his head in the sin after a yellow card at the death, was probably the sight of millions of South Africans around the country who had their hearts in their mouth as they sat through another nail-biting match.

Alternative forms

one's heart in one's throat

Related terms

have one's heart in one's boots
heart-in-mouth (adjective)

Translations

Note: Some of these translations may be verb forms.

to be very scared (idiom)

Chinese:
Mandarin: 提心吊膽／提心吊胆 (zh) (tíxīndiàodǎn)
Finnish: sydän kurkussa
Russian: душа́ в пя́тки ушла́ (ru) (dušá v pjátki ušlá) (the soul is gone to the heels)
Spanish: tener el corazón en un puño (to have the heart in a fist), tener el corazón en la boca (to have the heart in the mouth)

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