# get a lump in one's throat

idiom · CEFR B2

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/get-a-lump-in-ones-throat
Updated: 2026-07-27

## Meaning

To feel a tight feeling in your throat because you are about to cry or are moved by strong emotion — usually sadness, pride, or tenderness. "I got a lump in my throat during the goodbye."

## Examples

- She got a lump in her throat at the wedding.
- Watching his daughter cross the stage to collect her diploma, he got a lump in his throat and had to look away.
- Even the reporters, who had covered dozens of such reunions, admitted to getting a lump in their throats as the soldier knelt to hug the dog he had left behind three years earlier.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.