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in safe hands

in safe hands

5 3.4
Someone you can trust looks after people or things so you need not worry
  • idiom
translation icon : en buenas manos
  • Rest assured, your child is in safe hands at our daycare.
  • in safe hands now

And so, yeah, I just felt like I was in safe hands.

Examples

Synonyms

safe and sound
vsin safe hands
  • Informal
56 1.5

Not hurt and not in danger

is about trust in competent caregivers rather than only the fact of being unharmed
safekeeping
vsin safe hands
27 3.5

Leaving something with a person or place so it is protected

is about being cared for by someone trustworthy rather than the act itself
safe hands
vsin safe hands
5 4.0

A person, team, or group you can trust to look after something

is the situation of being cared for by a competent, trustworthy caregiver
safe pair of hands
vsin safe hands
  • UK
4.5

A person who can be trusted to do important tasks carefully and well

is about being under competent, trustworthy care rather than naming the person

Antonyms

21 4.8

Not honest or reliable with promises

How Safe

in safe hands
5 3.4
uncared
1 5.5

Surface Forms

Morphology

in + safe + hands

The meaning can be partly inferred from 'safe' (protected) and 'hands' used metaphorically to mean 'care' or 'control', so a learner who knows the words may guess it means being looked after. However, the use of 'hands' as 'care/authority' is a metaphorical extension that is not fully predictable for a B1 learner without prior exposure, making it only partially transparent.

Etymology

In safe hands may come from the clear image of placing a child or object into another person's hands because that person is careful and trusted, so the thing feels protected. That's why the phrase means 'in the care of someone you can trust'.