“Easier said than done”: meaning, origin and examples
What it means
The phrase Easier said than done means that while it is easy to talk about doing something, it is much more challenging to actually accomplish it.
Tone Practical and cautionary
Where it comes from
The expression dates back to the 15th century, highlighting the difference between talking about an action and performing it. It became commonly used in its current form in the 1800s.
Examples
- Quitting smoking is easier said than done.
- They said we should just fix the problem ourselves, but that’s easier said than done.
- Implementing these new policies is easier said than done.
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