What does ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’ mean?
To “the grass is always greener on the other side” means to other people's situations always look better. A modern English proverb, in current form 20th-century; the sentiment is old.
Origin
- A modern English proverb, in current form 20th-century; the sentiment is old.
How to use it
- Common counsel against envy.
- Example: Their office looks nicer, but the grass is always greener.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.