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Glite Dictionary
to tie someone's shoes

to tie someone's shoes

1.0
To fasten someone's shoe laces so they do not come loose
  • phrasal verb
translation icon : atar los zapatos
  • I helped my little brother tie his shoes before he ran outside to play.

Examples

Synonyms

to tie
vsto tie someone's shoes
923 1.0

To fasten things together by making a knot with string or rope

applies specifically to fastening another person's footwear rather than general knotting
to tie up
vsto tie someone's shoes
74 2.2

Fasten something with rope so it cannot move

intends to make another person's footwear secure for wear rather than prevent large movement
to fasten
vsto tie someone's shoes
68 1.6

Hold something in place so it cannot move

applies specifically to making another person's footwear secure by working with laces
to lace up
vsto tie someone's shoes
8 3.0

Tie the strings on shoes or boots to make them tight

focuses on fastening another person's footwear securely rather than the threading method
to cinch
vsto tie someone's shoes
8 5.5

To fasten a strap tightly so it does not slip

secures another person's footwear by fastening laces rather than tightening straps
to knot
vsto tie someone's shoes
5 1.0

To tie rope or string so it holds

focuses on securing another person's footwear rather than only making a binding

Antonyms

to untie
91 1.0

Make a knot or lace loose by undoing it

to loosen
88 1.0

Make something less tight so it can move or open

How Secure

to tie someone's shoes
1.0

Surface Forms

tie someone's shoes infinitive
tied someone's shoes past
tied someone's shoes past participle
tying someone's shoes present participle
ties someone's shoes third person singular

Morphology

tie + someone's + shoe

The meaning 'to fasten the laces of someone's shoes' is directly and compositionally derived from 'tie' (to secure with a string), the possessive 'someone's', and 'shoes' (footwear). This is a literal verb + object construction common across languages and predictable for a B1 learner who knows the constituent words.

Etymology

The phrase tie someone's shoes comes from the simple picture of using your hands to tie the laces on someone's shoes so they do not come off. So it means 'to fasten the laces of someone's shoes so they are secure'.