English Idioms
Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
Out of sight, out of mind
Meaning
The idiom "out of sight, out of mind" means that if something or someone is not visible to you, you will forget about it or pay less attention to it. It is a common expression that suggests that we tend to forget things that are hidden from our view.
Usage
- John was frustrated because he couldn't find his keys, which were out of sight and out of mind.
- When I left the room, my boss asked me to take care of the meeting, but out of sight and out of mind, I forgot about it.
- We often forget about the things that are not in our immediate vicinity or those things that we don't have a personal connection with.
- When I was a child, I would often forget about my homework until my teacher reminded me, as it was out of sight and out of mind.
- The new employee was given a task to complete, but out of sight and out of mind, she forgot about it and the deadline passed by without her completing it.
Roots and History
The idiom "out of sight, out of mind" has been used since at least the 16th century. Its earliest known use can be traced back to William Shakespeare's play "As You Like It," where the character Jaques says, "Whatever is out of sight ought not to enter into our thoughts." Over time, the idiom has become a common expression used in everyday language to describe how we tend to forget things that are not directly visible to us.
Synonyms in English
- Out of reach, out of mind
- Out of view, out of mind
- Hidden from sight, out of mind
- Invisible, out of mind
- Forgotten, out of mind
Synonyms in other languages
- En français : Hors de vue, hors de la mémoire
- En español : Fuera de vista, fuera de la memoria
- En italiano : Al di fuori dalla vista, fuori dalla memoria
- In Portuguese : Fora de vista, fora da memória
- En German : Außer den rechten Blick, ausser die Erinnerung