easier said than done
20
3.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
más fácil decirlo que hacerlo
- Achieving a work-life balance is easier said than done for many professionals.
- much easier said than done
Something that's easier said than done can be terrifying.
- Something that's easier said than done can be terrifying.
- But I know that's a lot easier said than done, but that's what did it for me.
- This is easier said than done, obviously.
- Now, it's easier said than done because we're trained from an early age to try and please others.
- Now I know it's easier said than done, but taking things personally is one of the greatest deteriorators of self worth.
- And I know that this is so much easier said than done, but what I try to do then is just distract myself from whatever is happening and I will.
- I think that's, of course, easier said than done, but I think it goes right back to something we talked about earlier, which is to say, OK, when would I change my mind?
- That's that's easier said than done, and it's bigger than it sounds.
- So that's theoretically is easier said than done.
Examples
-
It's easier said than done.
-
It's a lot easier said than done.
-
This is easier said than done, obviously.
-
Now, of course, again, easier said than done and much easier when healthy people are involved.
-
I think the main strategy, and it's easier said than done, is to try to think clearly about problems.
-
My point is this: sometimes it is much easier said than done.
Blog text (13) -
I know that it's easier said than done... but take it one day at a time.
Blog text (1) -
Sometimes this is easier said than done, but when it works, it works.
Blog text (19) -
But this is easier said than done.
Academic text (2005) -
I would prefer to do the same, but it's easier said than done.
Blog text (3)
Synonyms
Saying you will do something is easy but doing it matters
Antonyms
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase literally contrasts saying versus doing: combining 'easier' + 'said' + 'than' + 'done' yields the clear idea that something is simpler to state than to accomplish. This comparative structure is compositional and common across languages, so a B1 learner who knows the constituents and basic comparative grammar will readily infer the intended meaning.
Etymology
The idiom easier said than done comes from the simple image of someone saying a task is easy, with said showing the talking and done showing the action that turns out to be harder. So it means 'it is easier to say something than to actually do it'.