Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

wear on one's sleeve

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.77 in modern English

Syllables: wear on one's sleeve
IPA

22

Scrabble Score

16

Letters

1

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To express (an emotion, belief, or stance) overtly and make it an important part of one's public life.

Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"But religion is the one thing they encourage you to wear on your sleeve."
"While he may wear his idealism and good-heartedness on his shirt sleeve, his passion is exuded more as an intellectualized than as a deeply felt quality. In modulating his voice, that is, Canin has chosen a character whose temperance might be admirable among the living but is less engaging when encountered in literature."

Etymology

This phrase may derive from a mediaeval custom at jousting matches. Knights are said to have worn the colours of the lady they were supporting, in cloths or ribbons tied to their arms. The term does not date from that period though, and is first recorded in Shakespeare's Othello, 1604, in which the treacherous Iago's plan was to feign openness and vulnerability in order to appear faithful.

Usage

Transitive verb

Inflected Forms

wears on one's sleeve (present, singular) wearing on one's sleeve (participle, present) wore on one's sleeve (past) worn on one's sleeve (participle, past)

Phrases

to wear one's heart on one's sleeve

Frequently Paired Words

to wear one's heart on one's sleeve

Questions

What does wear on one's sleeve mean?: To express (an emotion, belief, or stance) overtly and make it an important part of one's public life.
Where does wear on one's sleeve come from?: This phrase may derive from a mediaeval custom at jousting matches. Knights are said to have worn the colours of the lady they were supporting, in cloths or ribbons tied to their arms. The term does not date from that period though, and is first recorded in Shakespeare's Othello, 1604, in which the treacherous Iago's plan was to feign openness and vulnerability in order to appear faithful.

How to pronounce wear on one's sleeve

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