English Idiom – Let sleeping dogs lie.
This idiomatic expression means you should leave something alone if it might cause trouble. This idiom advises you to leave inactive problems alone, or to have nothing to do with a situation.
This idiom is commonly given as advice to someone who may be about to instigate some kind of trouble or cause a problem.
The words in this idiom – let sleeping dogs lie – let the listener imagine there is a ferocious or scary dog sleeping. They are being advised not to wake this dangerous dog!
Related Expressions:
- A little bird told me – Idiom
- Elephant in the room – Idiom
- Let the cat out of the bag – Idiom
- Put a sock in it – Idiom
- Spill the beans – Idiom
Usage:
When could you use this idiom?
- Somebody is asking you about some controversial gossip – and you don’t want to be involved.
- A friend wants to ask a colleague about a particularly messy breakup.
- You are trying to avoid talking about the elephant in the room!
Example:
- “Don’t ask him about his divorce. It’s best to let sleeping dogs lie!”
In the News
Spotted in the newsLetting Sleeping Dogs Lie, Or How I Found My Family in Chinatalkhouse.comMore Dogs on FunkyEnglish:
- Big List of Dog Idioms
- Dog and Bone (Slang) – Phone.
- Puppy-dog eyes (Idiom) – Big, pleading eyes that are used to try to get someone to do something.
- Raining cats and dogs (Idiom) – Raining very heavily.
- Photo Vocabulary – Puppy
- Puppy Love (Slang) – Young love.
Listen to this idiom used in a sentence:
What is an idiom?
An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally. An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.
Love animal idioms? See our full list of 50 animal idioms in English, with meanings and examples.
Frequently Asked Questions
Leave a situation alone if bringing it up again could cause trouble. It’s advice not to reopen an old problem or dispute that has already settled down.
Similar, but this one specifically warns against reopening a settled issue or old conflict, rather than just moving on from something in general.
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