Melanie Pröschle
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Feb 19, 2024 · Learn the meaning and usage of the idiom "miss the forest for the trees", which means to focus on the details and ignore the bigger picture. See example sentences from recent sources and related words.
Learn the meaning and usage of the idiom not see the forest for the trees, which means to be unable to get a general understanding of a situation because you are too worried about the details. See examples, synonyms, translations and related words.
- What Does “Can’t See The Forest For The Trees” Mean?
- Origin of The Idiom “Can’t See The Forest For The Trees”
- Synonyms For “Can’t See The Forest For The Trees”
- Examples of “Can’t See The Forest For The Trees” in A Sentence
- Who Said You “Can’t See The Forest Through The Trees?”
- Sources
The idiom “can’t see the forest for the trees” means that the parts are distracting you from comprehending the whole. You can’t see the entirety as you are preoccupied with the details and overlook the bigger picture or the end goal. In this context, it signifies the trees are obscuring the fact that they collectively form a forest. Figuratively it...
The idiom “can’t see the forest for the trees” has a long history dating back to pre-Renaissance times. The first documented use of the expression is in a collection of proverbs by the English playwright JohnHeywood in 1546. The original proverb in Old English used the word “wood” instead of “forest.” The proverb wasused as a criticism of the Pope ...
An alternative form of the idiom is the British variant, “can’t see the wood for the trees.” Some variations of the idiom“can’t see the wood for the trees” are, 1. You can’t see the forest throughthe trees 2. The proverbial tree fallingin the forest 3. Miss the forest for the trees 4. Miss the wood for the trees 5. Miss the woods for the trees The ...
The idiom has a negative connotation and is often used toexpress subtle disapproval of someone’s ideas. It’s frequently employed while making a commentor airing an opinion about an individual, group, or organization’s mental acumen. 1. Jeff can’t see the forest for the trees as he is so obsessed with an efficiency that he frequently misses work dea...
The first recorded phrase use in American English is by writer John Heywood’s proverbs collection in 1546. Since then, the phrase has been used in literature, media, and entertainment several times. Demi Lovato used the idiom in the lyrics of her song Nightingale, part of her album Demi, whichwas released in 2014. C.S. Lewis used a novel version of...
CAN'T SEE THE FOREST FOR THE TREES definition: to be unable to understand a situation clearly because you are too involved in it. Learn more.
Can’t See the Forest for the Trees. Also: Can’t see the wood for the trees. Imagine you want to learn about the forest; its ecosystem; how it all grows and flourishes. Since the forest is full of huge trees, you spend all your time focusing on them. You can’t see the forest for the trees!
Jun 2, 2024 · see the forest for the trees (third-person singular simple present sees the forest for the trees, present participle seeing the forest for the trees, simple past saw the forest for the trees, past participle seen the forest for the trees)
Jun 2, 2023 · It's a metaphorical idiom that compares an inability to see a situation as a whole (the forest) due to focusing too much on the details (the trees). Historical Example. "We are occupied by the parts, instead of the whole. We cannot see the forest for. the trees." - The Gentleman's Magazine, 1820.
