"easier said than done" meaning in English

See easier said than done in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Adjective

Audio: en-au-easier said than done.ogg
Head templates: {{en-adj|+}} easier said than done (comparative form only)
  1. (idiomatic) Easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish. Tags: comparative-only, idiomatic Translations (easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish): del prometre al complir, hi ha molt de tros per penedir (Catalan), una cosa és predicar i una altra és donar blat (Catalan), és més fàcil dir-ho que fer-ho (Catalan), 談何容易 (Chinese Mandarin), 谈何容易 (tánhéróngyì) (Chinese Mandarin), 說得倒輕巧 (Chinese Mandarin), 说得倒轻巧 (shuō de dào qīng qiao) (Chinese Mandarin), lettere sagt end gjort (Danish), makkelijker gezegd dan gedaan (Dutch), helpommin sanottu kuin tehty (Finnish), plus facile à dire qu’à faire (French), leichter gesagt als getan (German), בין אמר לעשה ת"ק פרסה (Hebrew), könnyebb mondani, mint megtenni (Hungarian), könnyű mondani (Hungarian), hægara sagt en gert (Icelandic), það er hægara sagt en gert (english: it is easier said than done) (Icelandic), hægara ort en gert (Icelandic), það er hægara ort en gert (english: it is easier said than done) (Icelandic), più facile a dirsi che a farsi (Italian), 言うは易く行うは難し (iu wa yasuku okonau wa katashi) (Japanese), 言うは易し (iu wa yasushi) (Japanese), facilius est dictū quam factū (Latin), lettere sagt enn gjort (Norwegian Bokmål), łatwo powiedzieć (Polish), é mais fácil dizer do que fazer (Portuguese), é mais fácil falar do que fazer (Portuguese), про́ще сказа́ть, чем сде́лать (próšče skazátʹ, čem sdélatʹ) (Russian), lakše reći nego učiniti (Serbo-Croatian), es fácil decirlo (Spanish), es más fácil decirlo que hacerlo (Spanish), del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho (Spanish), que se dice pronto (Spanish), una cosa es predicar, y otra dar trigo (Spanish), lättare sagt än gjort (Swedish), madaling sabihin, mahirap gawin (Tagalog)
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      "expansion": "easier said than done (comparative form only)",
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  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "adj",
  "senses": [
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          "word": "piece of cake"
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          "ref": "1858, Thomas Carlyle, History of Friedrich II of Prussia, called Frederick the Great, volume 1, page 288:",
          "text": "Which is a thing more easily said, than made good in the way of doing.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport:",
          "text": "Scott Parker was desperately urging England's players to keep possession - but it was easier said than done amid waves of Ukraine attacks and it needed a penalty area block from the Tottenham midfield man to thwart Devic.",
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      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish."
      ],
      "id": "en-easier_said_than_done-en-adj-Ygq6Z1Iv",
      "links": [
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          "Easy",
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        [
          "propose",
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      "raw_glosses": [
        "(idiomatic) Easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish."
      ],
      "tags": [
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        "idiomatic"
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      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "del prometre al complir, hi ha molt de tros per penedir"
        },
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "una cosa és predicar i una altra és donar blat"
        },
        {
          "code": "ca",
          "lang": "Catalan",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "és més fàcil dir-ho que fer-ho"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "談何容易"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "tánhéróngyì",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "谈何容易"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "說得倒輕巧"
        },
        {
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "shuō de dào qīng qiao",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "说得倒轻巧"
        },
        {
          "code": "da",
          "lang": "Danish",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "lettere sagt end gjort"
        },
        {
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "makkelijker gezegd dan gedaan"
        },
        {
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "helpommin sanottu kuin tehty"
        },
        {
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "plus facile à dire qu’à faire"
        },
        {
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "leichter gesagt als getan"
        },
        {
          "code": "he",
          "lang": "Hebrew",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "בין אמר לעשה ת\"ק פרסה"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "könnyebb mondani, mint megtenni"
        },
        {
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "könnyű mondani"
        },
        {
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "hægara sagt en gert"
        },
        {
          "code": "is",
          "english": "it is easier said than done",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "það er hægara sagt en gert"
        },
        {
          "code": "is",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "hægara ort en gert"
        },
        {
          "code": "is",
          "english": "it is easier said than done",
          "lang": "Icelandic",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "það er hægara ort en gert"
        },
        {
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "più facile a dirsi che a farsi"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "iu wa yasuku okonau wa katashi",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "言うは易く行うは難し"
        },
        {
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "iu wa yasushi",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "言うは易し"
        },
        {
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "facilius est dictū quam factū"
        },
        {
          "code": "nb",
          "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "lettere sagt enn gjort"
        },
        {
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "łatwo powiedzieć"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "é mais fácil dizer do que fazer"
        },
        {
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "é mais fácil falar do que fazer"
        },
        {
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "próšče skazátʹ, čem sdélatʹ",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "про́ще сказа́ть, чем сде́лать"
        },
        {
          "code": "sh",
          "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "lakše reći nego učiniti"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "es fácil decirlo"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "es más fácil decirlo que hacerlo"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "que se dice pronto"
        },
        {
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "una cosa es predicar, y otra dar trigo"
        },
        {
          "code": "sv",
          "lang": "Swedish",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "lättare sagt än gjort"
        },
        {
          "code": "tl",
          "lang": "Tagalog",
          "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
          "word": "madaling sabihin, mahirap gawin"
        }
      ]
    }
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  "word": "easier said than done"
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  "lang_code": "en",
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          "word": "piece of cake"
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          "word": "easy thing"
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          "ref": "1858, Thomas Carlyle, History of Friedrich II of Prussia, called Frederick the Great, volume 1, page 288:",
          "text": "Which is a thing more easily said, than made good in the way of doing.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
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          "ref": "2012 June 19, Phil McNulty, “England 1-0 Ukraine”, in BBC Sport:",
          "text": "Scott Parker was desperately urging England's players to keep possession - but it was easier said than done amid waves of Ukraine attacks and it needed a penalty area block from the Tottenham midfield man to thwart Devic.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
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        "Easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish."
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          "propose"
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        "(idiomatic) Easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish."
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  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "del prometre al complir, hi ha molt de tros per penedir"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "una cosa és predicar i una altra és donar blat"
    },
    {
      "code": "ca",
      "lang": "Catalan",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "és més fàcil dir-ho que fer-ho"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "談何容易"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "tánhéróngyì",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "谈何容易"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "說得倒輕巧"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "shuō de dào qīng qiao",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "说得倒轻巧"
    },
    {
      "code": "da",
      "lang": "Danish",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "lettere sagt end gjort"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "makkelijker gezegd dan gedaan"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "helpommin sanottu kuin tehty"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "plus facile à dire qu’à faire"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "leichter gesagt als getan"
    },
    {
      "code": "he",
      "lang": "Hebrew",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "בין אמר לעשה ת\"ק פרסה"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "könnyebb mondani, mint megtenni"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "könnyű mondani"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "hægara sagt en gert"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "english": "it is easier said than done",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "það er hægara sagt en gert"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "hægara ort en gert"
    },
    {
      "code": "is",
      "english": "it is easier said than done",
      "lang": "Icelandic",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "það er hægara ort en gert"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "più facile a dirsi che a farsi"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "iu wa yasuku okonau wa katashi",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "言うは易く行うは難し"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "iu wa yasushi",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "言うは易し"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "facilius est dictū quam factū"
    },
    {
      "code": "nb",
      "lang": "Norwegian Bokmål",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "lettere sagt enn gjort"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "łatwo powiedzieć"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "é mais fácil dizer do que fazer"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "é mais fácil falar do que fazer"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "próšče skazátʹ, čem sdélatʹ",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "про́ще сказа́ть, чем сде́лать"
    },
    {
      "code": "sh",
      "lang": "Serbo-Croatian",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "lakše reći nego učiniti"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "es fácil decirlo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "es más fácil decirlo que hacerlo"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "del dicho al hecho hay mucho trecho"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "que se dice pronto"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "una cosa es predicar, y otra dar trigo"
    },
    {
      "code": "sv",
      "lang": "Swedish",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "lättare sagt än gjort"
    },
    {
      "code": "tl",
      "lang": "Tagalog",
      "sense": "easy to propose, but difficult to accomplish",
      "word": "madaling sabihin, mahirap gawin"
    }
  ],
  "word": "easier said than done"
}

Download raw JSONL data for easier said than done meaning in English (7.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.