How do you use "Heart in one's mouth" in a sentence?

I watched with my heart in my mouth as she walked the tightrope. My heart was in my mouth when the phone rang at 3am. With our hearts in our mouths, we waited for the results.

Heart in one's mouth

Q: What does "Heart in one's mouth" mean?

Feeling extreme fear or anxiety A vivid description of fear so intense that your heart seems to have jumped up into your throat. The phrase captures the physical sensation of a racing heart and tightness in the throat during moments of terror or intense anxiety.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Neutral

Practice this with flashcards, quizzes & audio on WordLoci →

Meaning: Feeling extreme fear or anxiety

感到极度恐惧或焦虑

Sentir miedo o ansiedad extremos

極度の恐怖や不安を感じる

극도의 공포나 불안을 느끼다

A vivid description of fear so intense that your heart seems to have jumped up into your throat. The phrase captures the physical sensation of a racing heart and tightness in the throat during moments of terror or intense anxiety.

对极度恐惧的生动描述，心脏似乎跳到了嗓子眼。这个短语捕捉了在恐惧或极度焦虑时刻心跳加速和喉咙发紧的身体感觉。

Una descripción vívida de un miedo tan intenso que el corazón parece haberse subido a la garganta. La frase captura la sensación física del corazón acelerado y la opresión en la garganta durante momentos de terror o ansiedad intensa.

心臓が喉まで飛び上がったかのような激しい恐怖の鮮やかな描写。恐怖や激しい不安の瞬間における心臓の高鳴りと喉の締め付けの身体的感覚を捉えている。

공포가 너무 심해서 심장이 목까지 뛰어 올라온 것 같은 느낌을 생생하게 묘사하는 표현입니다. 극도의 공포나 강렬한 불안의 순간에 느끼는 심장 박동과 목의 조임을 포착합니다.

Examples

I watched with my heart in my mouth as she walked the tightrope.
我提心吊胆地看着她走钢丝
la observé con el corazón en un puño mientras caminaba por la cuerda floja
彼女が綱渡りするのをハラハラしながら見ていた
그녀가 줄타기를 하는 걸 보며 조마조마했다.
My heart was in my mouth when the phone rang at 3am.
凌晨3点电话响的时候我的心都提到嗓子眼了
se me puso el corazón en un puño cuando sonó el teléfono a las 3 de la madrugada
午前3時に電話が鳴ったときは心臓が口から飛び出しそうだった
새벽 3시에 전화가 울렸을 때 심장이 입까지 올라오는 것 같았다.
With our hearts in our mouths, we waited for the results.
我们提心吊胆地等待结果
con el corazón en un puño, esperamos los resultados
ドキドキしながら結果を待った
두근두근하며 결과를 기다렸다.

Pronunciation

/hɑːt ɪn wʌnz maʊθ/

Usage Guide

Context: fear, anxiety, suspense

Tone: dramatic, tense

✓ Do Say

My heart was in my mouth
我的心提到了嗓子眼
se me puso el corazón en un puño
心臓が口から飛び出しそうだった
심장이 터질 것 같았어
With heart in mouth
提心吊胆地
con el corazón en un puño
ハラハラしながら
조마조마하면서

✗ Don't Say

Very vivid—use for genuine fear moments
非常生动的表达，只用于真正的恐惧时刻
Muy vívida, usar solo para momentos de miedo genuino
非常に鮮やかな表現なので、本当に恐怖を感じた場面に使う
매우 생생한 표현이라 진짜 두려운 순간에만 사용

Common Mistakes

Using for mild nervousness

Origin & History

This phrase dates back to at least ancient times—Homer used similar imagery in The Iliad. The physical sensation of a pounding heart that seems to rise during fear makes this metaphor universally understood.

Etymology: Ancient metaphor found in Homer and other classical sources

First recorded: Used in English since 16th century

Cultural Context

Era: Ancient to present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Common in thriller narration; Sports commentary

Regional notes: Universal across English-speaking world.

Variations

Heart in my mouthHeart in one's mouthHeart in throat