Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to sow one's oats

to sow one's oats

9.9
Have many casual sexual relationships when young before settling down
  • idiom
  • NSFW
translation icon : sembrar la avena
  • They say it is natural for young people to sow their oats before committing to a serious relationship.

Examples

  • In his twenties, he spent several years sowing his oats before settling down and starting a family.

  • He decided to sow his oats before settling down.

  • He regrets nothing about sowing his oats in college, seeing it as a formative time in his life.

  • Why did she sow her oats in college?

  • During college, he took the opportunity to sow his oats and enjoy a carefree lifestyle.

  • Many young people feel it's important to sow their oats before settling down.

  • She decided to sow her oats during her summer break, exploring new relationships and adventures.

Synonyms

to sow one's wild oats
vsto sow one's oats
  • NSFW
3 9.8

To have many short sexual relationships when young

is the same meaning but appears with an extra emphasising word in form
to sow wild oats
vsto sow one's oats
  • NSFW
9.6

Behave carelessly and have many romantic adventures before settling down

emphasizes casual sexual behaviour rather than general recklessness

Antonyms

to settle down
173 3.0

To start living a quiet, steady life by having a regular job or a family

How Promiscuous

to sleep around
  • NSFW
10 8.8
to sow one's oats
  • NSFW
9.9
to hook up
  • NSFW
132 8.7
to flirt
267 3.1
to date
∞ 1.3
to go steady
  • Archaic
19 6.0

Surface Forms

sow one's oats infinitive
sowing one's oats present participle
sows one's oats third person singular
sowed one's oats past
sowed one's oats past participle

Morphology

sow + one + oats

The idiomatic meaning 'to behave promiscuously' is not directly derivable from the literal constituents 'sow' (to plant), 'one's' and 'oats' (a grain); it relies on an agricultural metaphor and cultural knowledge. A B1 learner who knows the individual words would likely not infer the sexual/self‑indulgent sense without prior exposure, so the phrase is unpredictable from its parts.

Etymology

The idiom sow one's oats comes from farming: to sow is to scatter seed and oats are one of those seeds, so imagine someone throwing seeds widely over a field. One popular story says people used this image for young people who spread their romantic life widely before settling down, so today it means 'to enjoy life or have many romantic relationships while young'.