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Meaning & use

put something in perspective

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UK/ˌpʊt sʌmθɪŋ ɪn pəˈspektɪv/
US/ˌpʊt sʌmθɪŋ ɪn pərˈspektɪv/

Meanings

  1. phraseidiom

    To judge how important something really is by comparing it with other, often bigger, facts or events.

    Grammar: Used as a whole phrase with an object between 'put' and 'in': put something in perspective.

    Patterns

    • put something in perspective
    • put things in perspective
    • help to put something in perspective

    Losing my job felt terrible, but seeing how ill my neighbor is really put things in perspective.

    Reading about the war put our small problems in perspective.

    A week in the hospital put my worries about the exam in perspective.

  2. phraseidiom

    To show something in a way that makes its true size, value, or meaning clear.

    Grammar: Often used about numbers or facts that are hard to imagine; the subject is usually a report, figure, or comparison.

    Patterns

    • put something in perspective
    • put the figures in perspective

    The graph puts the company's profits in perspective by comparing them with last year's.

    To put the cost in perspective, one flight costs as much as a month of food.

    These photos put the size of the building in perspective.

Common combinations

put things in perspective
Talking to my grandmother always puts things in perspective for me.
help put something in perspective
Her calm advice helped put the whole argument in perspective.
really put something in perspective
The flood really put our money worries in perspective.
to put it in perspective
To put it in perspective, that's less than a cup of coffee a day.
keep something in perspective
Try to keep the criticism in perspective; it's only one person's opinion.

Synonyms and how they differ

put something in context
This focuses on background information that explains something, while 'put something in perspective' focuses on relative importance or size.
see something in proportion
Very close in meaning, but it describes your view rather than an action you take; it is a little more formal.

Opposites

exaggerateblow something out of proportion

Word family

perspective noun
A way of thinking about or judging something; also the art of showing depth in a picture.
perspectival adjective
Relating to perspective, especially in art or philosophy; rare and technical.

Commonly confused: put something in perspective or in retrospect? put something in perspective or prospective?

put something in perspective vs in retrospect

'In retrospect' means looking back at the past and judging it now; 'put something in perspective' means comparing something with other facts so you see its real importance.

put something in perspective vs prospective

'Prospective' means expected or future, as in 'a prospective buyer'; it sounds similar but has nothing to do with judging importance.

Practice

Seeing the damage caused by the storm really ______ our complaints about the hotel.

Make it your own

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