to walk on water
3
8.4
- idiom
:
caminar sobre el agua
- Now the BBN thinks that King Calipari can walk on water.
He said if I walk on water, they'll say that I can't swim.
- He said if I walk on water, they'll say that I can't swim.
- And the, and then all of a sudden, you know, you believe that you can walk on water.
- The Internet it's just undefeated, you know, postcards with with like me, like walking on water is like Jesus, but with my face on it is freaking nuts.
Examples
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I saw you walk on water.
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Perhaps they can walk on water.
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You know, you can walk on water.
-
You mean you can walk on water?
Fiction book (1990) -
Let's see if you can walk on water.
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I can't walk on water.
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Clarence, if you'll be so kind as to walk on water right across this pool here into my welcoming arms.
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He said if I walk on water, they'll say that I can't swim.
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In the company, he seems to walk on water because of his remarkable problem-solving skills.
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With her charm and confidence, she can make everyone believe she can walk on water.
Antonyms
How Exceptional
3
8.4
- Informal
19
3.8
58
3.7
244
3.2
520
1.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
The literal image of 'walking on water' evokes an impossible or miraculous feat, so a learner who knows 'walk', 'on', and 'water' can likely infer a metaphorical meaning of extraordinary ability or success. However, the idiomatic nuance (that someone 'appears' to be almost miraculous or exceptionally capable in a given domain) and its conventional usage require cultural or contextual knowledge, so it is not fully predictable from the parts alone.
Etymology
The idiom walk on water comes from a Bible story where Jesus literally walked on water, so he seemed to do something impossible. That's why today people say someone 'walks on water' when they think that person has 'almost miraculous' ability or success.