to hide your light under a bushel
1
9.8
- idiom
:
ocultar tu luz
- She felt that it was time to stop hiding her light under a bushel and share her abilities.
And so I flip open the Bible and it says, don't hide your light under a bushel.
- And so I flip open the Bible and it says, don't hide your light under a bushel.
Examples
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Don't hide your light under a bushel when you have so much to offer.
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Hiding your light under a bushel, Cowboy?
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You're becoming a beautiful young woman, but you always hide your light under a bushel.
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You can't hide your light under a bushel; let your talents shine.
Synonyms
282
3.7
To hide something so others cannot see or find it
1
7.6
To not tell people your plans or feelings to get an advantage
Antonyms
How Visible
- Informal
1
5.1
2
3.9
1
9.8
36
3.9
- Informal
Surface Forms
Morphology
hide + your + light + under + a + bushel
The literal parts ('hide' + 'light' + 'under' + 'bushel') transparently convey the idea of putting a visible thing out of sight, so a learner can infer a general sense of concealment. However, the conventional metaphor that 'light' stands for talents or achievements (and the idiomatic, cultural/biblical phrasing) is not fully predictable from the words alone, so the precise meaning (‘conceal your abilities’) may require prior exposure.
Etymology
The idiom hide your light under a bushel may come from a Bible story where people said you should not light a lamp and then put it under a basket. Picture a small lamp, the light, covered by a big basket, the bushel. Because the light is hidden it cannot help others, so the phrase means 'to hide your talents or good qualities'.