English idiom

walk of life

Register · Neutral CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

a person's occupation, social position, or general way of living

Why this phrase?

A life path or social role is pictured as a particular way of walking through the world.

Example

“The festival attracts visitors from every walk of life.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

rat race

the exhausting, competitive struggle to keep up at work and get ahead

behind the scenes

happening privately or secretly, not in public view

the man/woman in the street

an ordinary, average person

above one's station

behaving as if you belong to a higher social class or rank than you do

grass roots movement

a movement started and driven by ordinary people rather than leaders or organizations

joe public

the ordinary, average member of the public

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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