Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

see the forest for the trees

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.38 in modern English

Syllables: see the -forest -for the trees
IPA

35

Scrabble Score

23

Letters

3

Syllables

7

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the big picture, or the broader, more general situation.

Example Sentences

"Smith is good at detail, but can't see the forest for the trees."
"It is, indeed, the principal drawback to the study of London that she is too vast—that the student is ever in danger of "not seeing the forest for the trees.""
"On the other hand, I have purposely treated the empirical physical foundations of the theory in a "step-motherly" fashion, so that readers unfamiliar with physics may not feel like the wanderer who was unable to see the forest for the trees."
"Your only failing is that you can't see the forest for the trees."

Etymology

John Heywood documented the English use of the proverb in 1546.

Inflected Forms

sees the forest for the trees (present, singular) seeing the forest for the trees (participle, present) saw the forest for the trees (past) seen the forest for the trees (participle, past) see the wood for the trees (alternative) see the woods for the trees (alternative) see the forest but for the trees (alternative) see the forest through the trees (alternative) see the trees through the forest (alternative) miss the forest for the trees (alternative) miss the wood for the trees (alternative) miss the woods for the trees (alternative)

Phrases

big picture bigger fish to fry bird's-eye view grand scheme not see for looking

Frequently Paired Words

big picture bigger fish to fry bird's-eye view gestalt gist grand scheme not see for looking overview

Questions

What does see the forest for the trees mean?: To discern an overall pattern from a mass of detail; to see the big picture, or the broader, more general situation.
Where does see the forest for the trees come from?: John Heywood documented the English use of the proverb in 1546.

How to pronounce see the forest for the trees

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