Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to come out of the broom closet

to come out of the broom closet

9.9
To tell other people that you practice witchcraft or Pagan beliefs after keeping it secret
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : salir del armario de la escoba
  • After years of secrecy, he finally decided to come out of the broom closet to his family and friends.

Examples

  • Writing her blog was a way for her to come out of the broom closet and share her beliefs with others.

  • Many people feel anxious before they come out of the broom closet, fearing judgment or misunderstanding.

  • She finally came out of the broom closet last year.

  • It's time to come out of the broom closet and embrace your path!

  • After years of hiding her beliefs, she finally decided to come out of the broom closet and share her practice with others.

  • Many individuals find the courage to come out of the broom closet when they discover a supportive community.

  • He wrote an article to come out of the broom closet, openly discussing his experiences with witchcraft.

Synonyms

to come out
vsto come out of the broom closet
217 6.5

To tell people you are gay, lesbian, or transgender

applies to openly declaring spiritual or pagan beliefs not sexual identity
to come clean
vsto come out of the broom closet
  • Informal
92 4.1

To say the truth about something you kept secret

is used for openly declaring spiritual practice rather than confessing facts
to come out of the closet
vsto come out of the broom closet
26 7.1

To tell people you are gay, lesbian, or bisexual

is used when someone declares spiritual or pagan practice rather than sexual identity
to take the mask off
vsto come out of the broom closet
1 7.2

Show who you really are instead of pretending

focuses on publicly declaring spiritual practice rather than exposing inner intentions

Antonyms

to keep a secret
76 2.6

To not tell anyone private information

How Public

to reveal
84 7.4
to come out of the broom closet
  • Informal
9.9

Surface Forms

come out of the broom closet infinitive
came out of the broom closet past
come out of the broom closet past participle
coming out of the broom closet present participle
comes out of the broom closet third person singular

Morphology

come + out + of + the + broom + closet

This phrase builds transparently on the idiom 'come out of the closet' (to reveal a hidden identity) and the literal words 'broom' + 'closet' signal witchcraft, so a learner who knows the constituents can often infer it refers to revealing one’s interest or practice in witchcraft. However, correctly mapping this playful metaphor requires cultural/idiomatic knowledge (broom → witchcraft and the 'come out' idiom), so the meaning is not fully predictable from composition alone.

Etymology

The idiom come out of the broom closet comes from a simple picture: imagine someone hiding a witch's broom in a closet and then stepping out to show it. That's why the phrase means 'to openly declare' that you practice 'witchcraft' or similar beliefs.