Meaning & use
tip of my tongue
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiominformal
Said when you know a word or name but cannot quite remember it at that moment.
Grammar: Used as on the tip of my tongue, with the possessive matching the person: on the tip of his tongue.
Patterns
- be on the tip of your tongue
- have something on the tip of your tongue
Her name is on the tip of my tongue, but I can't think of it.
I had the answer on the tip of my tongue when the bell rang.
It's on the tip of my tongue; it starts with a B, I think.
phraseidiominformal
Said when you are almost ready to say something, often because you feel a strong urge to speak.
Grammar: Used as have something on the tip of your tongue.
Patterns
- have a reply on the tip of your tongue
I had a sharp reply on the tip of my tongue, but I stayed quiet.
The truth was on the tip of his tongue, and he nearly blurted it out.
Common combinations
- on the tip of my tongue
- The song title is on the tip of my tongue.
- have it on the tip of your tongue
- I have it on the tip of my tongue; just give me a second.
- tip-of-the-tongue feeling
- The tip-of-the-tongue feeling is common when you are tired.
- right on the tip of my tongue
- The word is right on the tip of my tongue.
- almost on the tip of my tongue
- The movie's title was almost on the tip of my tongue.
Synonyms and how they differ
- can't recall
- Can't recall states the failure plainly, while tip of my tongue adds that you are sure you know it and expect it to return.
- slipped my mind
- Slipped my mind suggests you forgot completely, whereas tip of my tongue means the memory is just out of reach.
- draw a blank
- Draw a blank means nothing comes to mind at all, so it is a stronger failure than tip of my tongue.
Word family
Commonly confused: tip of my tongue or slip of the tongue?
tip of my tongue vs slip of the tongue
A slip of the tongue is a small mistake in speaking. Tip of my tongue is about almost remembering something.
Practice
I know that actor's name; it's on the ___ of my tongue.
Choose one answer.
The fixed idiom is on the tip of my tongue. Edge, end and top are natural words but do not fit the idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tip of my tongue”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.