Meaning & use
walking on eggshells
Last updated
“walking on eggshells” is a form of “walk on eggshells”.
Meaning
phraseidiom
Behaving very carefully around someone so as not to upset or anger them.
Grammar: Needs a subject and usually follows a verb like be or feel: I am walking on eggshells.
Patterns
- walk on eggshells around someone
- feel like walking on eggshells
Since the argument, everyone in the office has been walking on eggshells around the boss.
I'm tired of walking on eggshells every time I mention money.
She felt as if she were walking on eggshells in her own home.
Word forms
| base form | walk on eggshells |
|---|---|
| past | walked on eggshells |
Common combinations
- feel like walking on eggshells
- Living with her moody roommate felt like walking on eggshells.
- tired of walking on eggshells
- He's tired of walking on eggshells around his dad.
- keep walking on eggshells
- We keep walking on eggshells to avoid another fight.
- walking on eggshells around someone
- I'm always walking on eggshells around my sensitive aunt.
Synonyms and how they differ
- tiptoe around
- Tiptoe around can also mean avoiding a topic, while walking on eggshells focuses on fear of causing anger.
- handle with kid gloves
- Handle with kid gloves means treat gently, but not necessarily out of fear.
- tread carefully
- Tread carefully is a general warning to be cautious, not tied to someone's temper.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: walking on eggshells or walk on air?
walking on eggshells vs walk on air
Walk on air means feeling extremely happy, unlike walking on eggshells.
Practice
Since the manager's angry outburst, the team has been ______ around him.
Choose one answer.
Walking on eggshells means being extra careful not to provoke someone; skating on thin ice is about personal risk.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “walking on eggshells”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.