speak in tongues
idiom
: to say strange words that no one can understand, especially as part of a religious experience
Examples of speak in tongues in a Sentence
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Parham, a former Methodist married to a woman from a Quaker family, had come to Kansas from Iowa, after touring holiness camps and talking with global missionaries, some of whom told him about seeing recent converts slip into trances and speak in tongues.
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Casey Cep, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Like those who, by miracle or conviction, speak in tongues in front of a religious congregation to preserve the unspoken pact of a shared sense of comfort, there’s validation in getting scared together.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2022
His mother, Mamie, was a deeply religious woman who was known to speak in tongues during church services.
—Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2022
Sometimes Emma would speak in tongues, a practice encouraged by the Assemblies of God.
—Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2021
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Casey Cep, New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2025
Like those who, by miracle or conviction, speak in tongues in front of a religious congregation to preserve the unspoken pact of a shared sense of comfort, there’s validation in getting scared together.
—Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2022
His mother, Mamie, was a deeply religious woman who was known to speak in tongues during church services.
—Richard Cromelin, Los Angeles Times, 28 Oct. 2022
Sometimes Emma would speak in tongues, a practice encouraged by the Assemblies of God.
—Rachel Aviv, The New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2021
Cite this Entry
“Speak in tongues.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/speak%20in%20tongues. Accessed 22 Apr. 2025.
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