English · Emotions & Feelings
the grass is always greener
/ðə ɡrɑːs ɪz ˈɔːl.weɪz ˈɡriː.nə/
[/ðə ɡrɑːs ɪz ˈɔːl.weɪz ˈɡriː.nə/]
others seem better off
Advancedphrase
Definition
The belief that other people's situations always seem better than your own.
Example
He keeps changing jobs, but the grass is always greener; he's never satisfied wherever he ends up.
He keeps changing jobs, but the grass is always greener; he's never satisfied wherever he ends up.
Etymology
Short for 'the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence', a 20th-century proverb.
How & Where It’s Used
Common for warning against envy of others' apparent advantages.