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Glite Dictionary
to beat swords into ploughshares

to beat swords into ploughshares

8.6
To change weapons into tools for peaceful work like farming
  • idiom
  • Literature
translation icon : convertir espadas en arados
  • After years of conflict, the country pledged to beat swords into ploughshares and focus on rebuilding.

Examples

  • The organization encourages former soldiers to beat swords into ploughshares by teaching them new skills.

  • Many activists hope that future generations will choose to beat swords into ploughshares rather than perpetuate violence.

  • We must beat swords into ploughshares to create a peaceful world.

  • The government plans to beat swords into ploughshares after the war.

  • After years of conflict, the country pledged to beat swords into ploughshares and focus on rebuilding.

  • The organization encourages former soldiers to beat swords into ploughshares by providing vocational training.

  • Many activists believe it is time for nations to beat swords into ploughshares and invest in education instead of arms.

Synonyms

to make peace
vsto beat swords into ploughshares
89 3.4

To stop arguing and become friendly again

involves changing military items into tools for peaceful production
to sheathe the sword
vsto beat swords into ploughshares
8.2

Stop fighting and try to be friends again

focuses on converting military items into peaceful productive tools

Antonyms

to war
7 5.9

To fight a long armed conflict against another country or group

Surface Forms

beat swords into ploughshares infinitive
beat swords into ploughshares past
beat swords into ploughshares past participle
beating swords into ploughshares present participle
beats swords into ploughshares third person singular

Morphology

beat + sword + into + ploughshares

The meaning 'to convert weapons into peaceful, productive tools' is directly derivable from the parts: 'beat' (hammer into shape) + 'swords' (weapons) + 'into' (change to) + 'ploughshares' (farm implement). Although 'ploughshare' is somewhat archaic, the literal image and transformation are compositional and cross‑linguistically common, so a learner who knows the constituent words can infer the idiomatic meaning.

Etymology

Beat swords into ploughshares comes from a strong image of taking metal from swords and hammering it into ploughshares, the metal blades of a plow used for farming. That's why the phrase means 'to turn weapons into peaceful tools'.