Meanings
present singular third person puts one's foot in one's mouth · participle present putting one's foot in one's mouth
- idiomaticTo misspeak; to say something embarrassing or wrong, or to make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing or offensive.
I really put my foot in my mouth during the interview.
Synonyms: put one's foot in it, stick one's foot in one's mouth, stick one's foot in it
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo misspeak; to say something embarrassing or wrong, or to make a mistake in public, or a social blunder, that is embarrassing or offensive.
Origin
Attested from 1887; from earlier put one's foot in it.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 失言, 自討沒趣 /自讨没趣
- 失言 (shīyán)say or do something embarrassing or wrong
- 自討沒趣 /自讨没趣 (zìtǎoméiqù)say or do something embarrassing or wrong
- 自掘墳墓 /自掘坟墓 (zìjuéfénmù)say or do something embarrassing or wrong
Dutch zich verspreken
- zich versprekensay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Estonian rumalusi rääkima
- rumalusi rääkimasay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Finnish mokata, päästää sammakko suustaan
- mokatasay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- päästää sammakko suustaansay or do something embarrassing or wrong
French mettre les pieds dans le plat, se prendre les pieds dans le tapis
- mettre les pieds dans le platsay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- se prendre les pieds dans le tapissay or do something embarrassing or wrong
German ins Fettnäpfchen treten, in die Pfanne treten
- ins Fettnäpfchen tretensay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- in die Pfanne tretensay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Hungarian elszólja magát, baklövést követ el
- elszólja magátsay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- baklövést követ elsay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- kínos helyzetbe hozza magátsay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- akasztott ember házában kötelet emlegetsay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Italian fare una gaffe
- fare una gaffesay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Norwegian tråkke i salaten
- tråkke i salatensay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Polish strzelać gafę, strzelić gafę
- strzelać gafęsay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- strzelić gafęsay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Portuguese pagar mico, meter a pata na poça
- pagar micosay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- meter a pata na poçasay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- pôr a pata na poçasay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Romanian face o gafă, da cu bâta-n baltă
- face o gafăsay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- da cu bâta-n baltăsay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- călca în străchinisay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- da cu mucii în fasolesay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Russian сморо́зить глу́пость, оговори́ться
- сморо́зить глу́пость (smorózitʹ glúpostʹ)say or do something embarrassing or wrong
- оговори́ться (ogovorítʹsja)say or do something embarrassing or wrong
Spanish meter la pata, mear fuera del tiesto
- meter la patasay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- mear fuera del tiestosay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- orinar fuera del guacalsay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Swedish trampa i klaveret
- trampa i klaveretsay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Turkish pot kırmak, çam devirmek
- pot kırmaksay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- çam devirmeksay or do something embarrassing or wrong
- gaf yapmaksay or do something embarrassing or wrong
Ukrainian ляпнути дурню
- ляпнути дурню (ljapnuty durnju)say or do something embarrassing or wrong
Cite this entry
put one's foot in one's mouth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20one's%20foot%20in%20one's%20mouth
“put one's foot in one's mouth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20one's%20foot%20in%20one's%20mouth. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “put one's foot in one's mouth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/put%20one's%20foot%20in%20one's%20mouth.
Source: put one's foot in one's mouth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.