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Glite Dictionary
to get back on one's feet

to get back on one's feet

27 3.7
To recover after illness, money problems, or other setbacks
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : recuperarse
  • After losing his job, it took him a few months to get back on his feet.
  • help him get back on his feet
  • get back on your feet again
  • just get back on your feet

Examples

Synonyms

to recover
vsto get back on one's feet
748 2.5

Get back to a normal state after a loss, for example health or money

is specifically used for bouncing back from difficult situations rather than any return
to bounce back
vsto get back on one's feet
60 3.5

Get better quickly after an illness, problem, or setback

is a general return from hardship that can be slower rather than sudden
to rebound
vsto get back on one's feet
42 4.3

To get back to normal after a problem

focuses on recovering from trouble generally, not only regaining past status
to turn the corner
vsto get back on one's feet
14 4.2

To begin to get better after a difficult time

describes full recovery from trouble rather than only the first signs of improvement
to land on one's feet
vsto get back on one's feet
  • Informal
12 3.7

Recover from a hard situation and end up well

means recovering from hardship but does not imply a lucky or especially good ending
to snap back
vsto get back on one's feet
  • Informal
5 3.8

Get better quickly after a setback or illness

describes recovery more broadly and not necessarily abrupt or instant
to pick oneself up off the floor
vsto get back on one's feet
  • Informal
6.1

To get better after a failure and start again

emphasizes general recovery without stressing the purposeful action to resume

Antonyms

to sink
358 1.0

To move down physically or emotionally, often when tired

to fall apart
  • Informal
193 4.2

To lose control of your feelings because of strong stress or sadness

How Recovered

to thrive
241 3.2
to get back on one's feet
  • Informal
27 3.7
to manage
∞ 3.2
to struggle
170 3.0

Surface Forms

get back on one's feet infinitive
got back on one's feet past
got back on one's feet past participle
getting back on one's feet present participle
gets back on one's feet third person singular

Morphology

get + back + on + one's + feet

The phrase evokes the literal image of 'being on one's feet' (standing) so the constituents ('get', 'back', 'on', 'one's', 'feet') support a metaphorical meaning of 'standing up again' after a fall; however, mapping that physical image to the broader sense of 'recovering from illness or setback' is a figurative extension rather than fully compositional. Because the recovery sense is a fairly transparent metaphor and has close parallels in many languages but still requires understanding the metaphorical shift, it is best classified as semi-transparent for a B1 learner.

Etymology

The phrase get back on one's feet comes from the simple image of a person who has fallen down and then gets back onto their feet. So it now means 'to recover' after illness, money problems, or other hard times.