Meaning & use
resting on our laurels
Last updated
Meaning
phraseidiom
Feeling too satisfied with past achievements and no longer trying hard to succeed.
Grammar: Used as a verb phrase, often after 'be' or 'keep': 'They are resting on their laurels.' The possessive pronoun changes with the subject.
Patterns
- be resting on your laurels
- stop resting on your laurels
- not rest on your laurels
After winning the championship last year, the team seems to be resting on its laurels.
She got a big promotion, but she's not resting on her laurels — she's already working on the next project.
The company was accused of resting on its laurels instead of developing new products.
Common combinations
- not rest on your laurels
- Even after the award, he refused to rest on his laurels and kept training.
- be accused of resting on your laurels
- The coach was accused of resting on his laurels after the early wins.
- stop resting on your laurels
- You need to stop resting on your laurels and start studying for the next exam.
- rest on your laurels
- It's dangerous to rest on your laurels in such a competitive market.
Synonyms and how they differ
- coast
- Means to continue with little effort after success; it is more informal and can be used on its own, while 'resting on your laurels' specifically suggests being too satisfied with past achievements.
- become complacent
- Focuses on losing the desire to improve; it is more formal and does not necessarily imply past success, whereas 'resting on your laurels' always refers to success.
Opposites
Commonly confused: resting on our laurels or laurels?
resting on our laurels vs laurels
Laurels are the leaves used in ancient times as a symbol of victory; the idiom uses this image. Don't confuse it with the name 'Laurel' or the plant 'laurel' in everyday contexts.
Practice
After the huge success of their first album, the band seemed to be ______ instead of writing new songs.
Choose one answer.
The fixed idiom is 'resting on your laurels' with a possessive pronoun that matches the subject. 'Resting their laurels' is missing 'on', and 'resting on laurels' lacks the possessive, which is required in this idiom.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “resting on our laurels”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.