heart in your mouth.

A state of intense nervous apprehension, especially while danger or an outcome is uncertain.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• with your heart in your mouth
• your heart is in your mouth
• wait with your heart in your mouth

On the page

With her heart in her mouth, she watched the child reach for the rail.

My heart was in my mouth until the radio answered.

He opened the envelope with his heart in his mouth.

Usage notes

Primary category: fear. Figurative, not a literal symptom; vivid and conventional. Heart in your throat is a recognized variant. Change possessive and be to match the subject; mouth stays singular. Regional variant: heart in your throat.