easier said than done

E

easier said than done

Meaning

• to explain that a task is easier to talk about than perform.
• to state that it is easier to talk about perfection than achieve it.
• to state that changing a person’s mind is not simple.
• something that appears easy but is difficult to do.

Examples in Sentences

1. It’s easier said than done when it comes to convincing people that something is true.
2. It was easier said than done to lug those buckets up three flights of stairs.
3. Getting a cat to obey commands is easier said than done.
4. You can bet that getting people to listen to an opposing viewpoint is easier said than done.
5. The doctor said that because of your addiction, it would be easier said than done, but you must stop smoking and drinking.

Origin

The etymology of many idioms is easy enough to figure out when one thinks of their overall meaning. The origin of “easier said than done” is simple, as it appeared in print for the first time in 1483. It was written as, “It is easyer to saye than do.” Regardless of the different spellings, the meaning is quite easy to pick out, and it doesn’t require much thought to figure out how to use this phrase efficiently. The origin of this particular proverb is practical in nature, as it is one of the many explanatory phrases present in the English language that are straightforward and to the point.

Easy, Hard, Speech, Task, Work