on one's feet — standing upright; recovered from illness or difficulty; financially stable
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: standing upright; recovered from illness or difficulty; financially stable
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɑːn wʌnz fiːt/
Example Sentences
- My broke friend finally got a job and is back on his feet - now he can afford ramen with an actual egg!
- After the startup failed, it took her two years to get back on her feet financially.
- The company is finally on its feet after the government bailout and three cups of corporate coffee.
on one's feet
NOUN[/ɑːn wʌnz fiːt/]
standing upright; recovered from illness or difficulty; financially stable
After ten hours on her feet, the nurse finally sits down for a coffee.
Back on her feet, ready to meet - her recovery is complete!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
This phrasal idiom evolved from the literal physical state of standing upright on one's feet. It developed a metaphorical extension to denote stability, independence, and self-sufficiency, particularly in contexts of recovering from adversity or achieving financial security.
Breakdown
on (positioned above/upon) + one's (possessive pronoun, belonging to oneself) + feet (plural of foot, the lower extremities). The literal meaning of standing on one's own feet metonymically came to represent self-reliance and stable condition.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My broke friend finally got a job and is back on his feet - now he can afford ramen with an actual egg!”
“After the startup failed, it took her two years to get back on her feet financially.”
“The company is finally on its feet after the government bailout and three cups of corporate coffee.”
“Even though he was dizzy, the boxer managed to stay on his feet until the end of the round.”
📚Related Words
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