Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
to push against an open door

to push against an open door

6.6
To try to make something happen when it is already easy or people already agree
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : hacer un esfuerzo innecesario
  • Convincing the team to adopt the new software was like pushing against an open door since everyone was excited about the change.

Examples

  • She is pushing against an open door with her suggestions.

  • Don't push against an open door by trying to convince her.

  • Convincing the team to adopt new technology was like push against an open door.

  • She felt she was push against an open door when all her colleagues supported her plan.

  • When the committee approved his proposal immediately, he realized he was push against an open door.

  • When the manager expressed full support for the new initiative, I realized I was pushing against an open door with my proposal.

  • She found that discussing flexible work hours was pushing against an open door because most employees were already in favor of it.

Synonyms

to kick at an open door
vsto push against an open door
8.4

Waste effort arguing about something everyone already agrees with

tries to achieve what is already easy rather than criticise it

How Necessary

to persuade
472 2.7
to ask
∞ 1.0
to push against an open door
  • Informal
6.6
to do nothing
888 1.5

Surface Forms

push against an open door infinitive
pushed against an open door past
pushed against an open door past participle
pushing against an open door present participle
pushes against an open door third person singular

Morphology

push + against + an + open + door

The meaning is directly inferable from the literal image: if a door is already open, pushing against it is pointless, so the phrase naturally maps to making unnecessary effort or persuading someone already willing. This compositional logic is straightforward and cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words should be able to deduce the figurative meaning.

Etymology

The idiom push against an open door shows a simple image: someone keeps trying to push even though the open door already moves easily, so the effort is wasted. That's why it means 'trying to do something that is already easy' or 'making unnecessary effort'.