crab mentality
- noun
- /kræb mɛnˈtælɪti/
- Philippine
:
mentalidad de cangrejo
- If we want to grow as a team, we must avoid the crab mentality and support each other's achievements.
Examples
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The prevalence of crab mentality in the workplace can hinder progress and innovation.
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Her crab mentality was evident when she criticized his promotion.
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Her lecture addressed the effects of crab mentality on community development.
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Don't fall into the crab mentality!
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In a competitive environment, the crab mentality can prevent individuals from celebrating each other's successes.
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The crab mentality among colleagues often leads to a toxic work atmosphere where achievements are undermined.
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By fostering a positive culture, we can overcome the crab mentality that hinders teamwork and collaboration.
Synonyms
4
7.9
Trying to show you are better than someone by bragging
A competitive attitude that puts your interests ahead of others, ignoring teamwork
Antonyms
How Unsupportive
164
7.1
54
6.3
179
1.5
- Philippine
43
4.1
71
4.6
∞
1.0
Surface Forms
Morphology
The element 'mentality' clearly signals an attitude, and 'crab' gives a negative figurative cue, so learners may infer a general negative disposition. However, the precise sense of actively undermining or pulling others down relies on the cultural 'crab in a bucket' metaphor and is not directly predictable from the literal words alone, making the expression only partially transparent to B1 learners.
Etymology
Crab mentality comes from the image of crabs in a bucket: when one crab tries to climb out, the others grab it and pull it back down. That's why the phrase means people who 'pull down' others out of 'jealousy'.