Explaining "Easier said than done"

Reviewed and edited by

Anwar Kareem 26/11/2024, 18:09

English.me team member

What does it mean?

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

Origin

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 of usage

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.