ˈwɔːkɪŋ ɒn ˈeɡʃelz
Food & Cooking
informal
beginner
- Literally:
- Stepping carefully on fragile eggshells
What does "walking on eggshells" mean?
- Being extremely careful not to upset someone
- Acting very cautiously around a sensitive person
Examples
- I feel like I'm walking on eggshells around her.
- The team has been walking on eggshells since the announcement.
- You can't keep walking on eggshells forever.
Origin
From the impossible task of walking on eggshells without breaking them. Requires extreme care.
How to use it
Often describes unhealthy relationships or tense work environments.
Similar expressions
treading carefully
being very cautious
handling with kid gloves
Opposites
speaking freely
being direct
relaxed
Related idioms
- piece of cake
Something very easy to do
- a piece of cake
Something very easy to do
- in a nutshell
In a very brief or concise form
- an apple a day keeps the doctor away
Eating fruit or having a healthy diet helps maintain good health
- bite off more than you can chew
To take on more responsibility or work than one can handle
- don't put all your eggs in one basket
Don't risk everything on a single opportunity
Use it in a practice answer
Try "walking on eggshells" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.