spring in someone's step
1
4.9
- idiom
- Informal
:
alegría en el andar
- With a glint in your eye and a spring in your step.
Examples
-
After hearing the good news, he walked down the street with a spring in his step.
-
And with some spring in their step.
-
Got quite the spring in your step.
-
You should have a spring in your step.Yeah.
-
He gave my girl a spring in her step, just when she needed it.
-
When you wear these flubberized shoes, you'll have a spring in your step.
-
The children skipped happily, each with a spring in their step as they headed to the park.
-
She entered the room with a spring in her step, clearly excited about the upcoming event.
Synonyms
1
3.5
A quick, lively way of moving or speaking
Antonyms
How Energetic
- Informal
1
4.9
27
3.2
5
2.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
spring + in + someone's + step
The phrase literally combines 'spring' (a bounce) with 'step' (a gait), so a learner who knows those words can readily imagine a bouncy, energetic way of walking; the preposition 'in' signals that the bounce is a feature of the person's step. This metaphorical image is directly derivable from the constituents and is therefore immediately understandable to a B1 learner.
Etymology
The idiom spring in someone's step may come from the picture of a small spring under the shoe that makes the step bounce. That's why it means 'energetic and lively' walking that shows happiness or confidence.