to consider someone else’s experiences and feelings
example
Before judging someone, try walking a mile in their shoes.
word origin — Likely inspired by a Native American proverb about understanding another person's path before judging them.
walk a mile in someone’s shoes, sit tight, rub salt in the wound, walk on thin ice, get the wrong end of the stick: meanings and examples
Learn these 5 idioms from Idioms set 58. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.
walk a mile in someone’s shoes · idiom/wɔk ə maɪl ɪn ˈsʌmwʌnz ʃuz/
to consider someone else’s experiences and feelings
Before judging someone, try walking a mile in their shoes.
Origin: Likely inspired by a Native American proverb about understanding another person's path before judging them.
sit tight · idiom/sɪt taɪt/
to wait patiently and not take immediate action
Just sit tight and wait for the results.
Origin: From poker — when a player has good cards but no need to bet, they 'sit tight' and wait for the right moment.
rub salt in the wound · idiom/rʌb sɔlt ɪn ðə wund/
to make a bad situation worse
Bringing up his past failures really rubbed salt in the wound.
Origin: From early medicine — salt was rubbed in wounds to clean them, causing sharp additional pain to already injured flesh.
walk on thin ice · idiom/wɔk ɔn θɪn aɪs/
to be in a risky situation where one wrong move could cause trouble
With so many layoffs happening, we’re all walking on thin ice.
Origin: An 18th-century expression — walking on thin ice may break at any moment, sending you into freezing water.
get the wrong end of the stick · idiom/ɡɛt ðə rɔŋ ɛnd əv ðə stɪk/
to misunderstand something or get the wrong idea
I think you got the wrong end of the stick—I didn’t mean it that way.
Origin: From medieval times — grabbing the wrong (dirty) end of a stick used for sanitation led to messy misunderstandings.