taɪ ðə nɒt
Relationships
informal
beginner
- Literally:
- Tying a physical knot
What does "tie the knot" mean?
- To get married
- To officially wed
Examples
- They're finally tying the knot next month.
- When did you two tie the knot?
- After dating for 10 years, they decided to tie the knot.
Origin
From ancient marriage ceremonies where couples' hands were literally tied together with cord or ribbon to symbolize union.
How to use it
Casual, friendly way to describe marriage. Very common expression.
Similar expressions
get married
wed
get hitched
walk down the aisle
Opposites
divorce
split up
break up
Related idioms
- break the ice
To initiate conversation in an awkward social situation
- see eye to eye
To agree with someone completely
- head over heels
Completely and deeply in love
- pull someone's leg
To tease or joke with someone
- cut someone some slack
To be less strict or demanding with someone
- burn bridges
To destroy relationships or opportunities permanently
Use it in a practice answer
Try "tie the knot" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.