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Glite Dictionary
to shut one's gob

to shut one's gob

9.9
To tell someone rudely to be quiet
  • idiom
  • /ʃʌt wʌnz gɒb/
  • UK
translation icon : cállate
  • BOY: Shut your gob.

Examples

  • His constant chatter was annoying, so I told him to shut his gob and pay attention.

  • So if another opinion pops in your head, do us all a favor and shut your gob.

    Crispy's Curse (2017)

  • Ah, shut your gob!

    The Informer (1935)

  • Oh, shut your gob!

    The Informer (1935)

  • - Shut your gob!

    She Wore a Yellow Ribbon (1949)

  • During the meeting, I had to tell him to shut his gob to finish my presentation.

  • When she wouldn't stop talking during the movie, I finally said, 'Please shut your gob for a while.'

Synonyms

to shut up
vsto shut one's gob
  • Offensive
∞ 4.1

Tell someone to be quiet in a rude or angry way

is the same command but coloured by British informal tone
to knock it off
vsto shut one's gob
  • Informal
321 8.1

Tell someone to stop doing something annoying

specifies the command applies particularly to stopping spoken talk
to be quiet
vsto shut one's gob
231 1.0

To stop making noise or talking

is a more forceful, informal British way to give that same demand
to pipe down
vsto shut one's gob
  • Informal
35 7.1

To become quiet or tell someone to stop making noise

is the same kind of order but emphasises British informal usage
to hush
vsto shut one's gob
33 3.4

Make a person or thing quiet so others stop making noise

is a stronger, more commanding British informal instruction to be quiet
shush
vsto shut one's gob
  • Informal
23 4.5

A short word or sound used to tell someone to be quiet

is a harsher spoken command used informally in Britain
to put a sock in it
vsto shut one's gob
  • UK
9 9.1

Tell someone to be quiet

is similar but specifically used in British informal speech
to shut one's mouth
vsto shut one's gob
  • Informal
4 4.4

To stop talking to keep a secret or when told to be quiet

is the same quieting command but framed in British informal speech
to button up
vsto shut one's gob
  • Informal
3 7.1

To stop talking suddenly and not answer questions

is an external order to stop talking rather than a self choice
to hush up
vsto shut one's gob
  • Informal
2 5.0

Make someone stop talking and be quiet

is the same blunt British informal command with stronger force
to shut one's assmouth
vsto shut one's gob
  • Offensive
9.9

Tells someone to be quiet in a rude way

is similar but less vulgar and idiomatically British
to keep one's cakehole shut
vsto shut one's gob
  • Offensive
9.9

Not say anything or tell other people

is the same blunt command but with British informal flavour
to belt up
vsto shut one's gob
  • Offensive
9.2

To tell someone to stop talking and be quiet

is a related British command but more associated with bluntness
to shh
vsto shut one's gob
  • Informal
8.3

Tell someone to be quiet by making a soft sound with your mouth

is a blunt verbal order rather than a gentle sound for silence
to whush
vsto shut one's gob
  • UK
9.9

To tell someone quietly to stop talking

is a direct spoken command with stronger force and British tone
to wheesht
vsto shut one's gob
  • UK
9.9

To tell someone to be quiet in a soft voice

is the broader British informal command used across regions
to stop the bullbleep
vsto shut one's gob
  • Offensive
9.9

Tell someone to stop talking nonsense and focus on the main point

is the same shut down of talk but broader, not content specific

Antonyms

to speak
∞ 1.0

To talk with someone to share thoughts or feelings

talk
947 1.0

A discussion where people share ideas or feelings

How Forceful

to shut one's gob
  • UK
9.9
to shut up
  • Offensive
∞ 4.1
to shut one's mouth
  • Informal
4 4.4
to be quiet
231 1.0

Surface Forms

shut one's gob infinitive
shut one's gob past
shut one's gob past participle
shutting one's gob present participle
shuts one's gob third person singular

Morphology

shut + one + gob

The meaning 'be quiet' is directly and transparently built from 'shut' (to close) + 'one's' (possessive) + 'gob' (mouth), equivalent to the clear construction 'shut your mouth'. Although 'gob' is colloquial/regionally British, the compositional pattern is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

The idiom shut one's gob uses shut (close) and gob, an old British slang word for 'mouth'. It gives the clear image of closing someone's mouth to stop them talking, so it means 'be quiet'.