the grass is always greener

What it means

The idea that other people's situations or possessions always seem better than your own, even when they may not be. It warns against assuming that a change will automatically bring more happiness.

Examples

• He quit for a 'better' job and regretted it; the grass is always greener.
• She envies her single friends, but the grass is always greener, isn't it?
• Before you move abroad, remember the grass is always greener somewhere else.
• They thought city life would be perfect, but the grass is always greener.

Where it comes from

A shortened form of 'the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence', the saying became widespread in the early 20th century, though the underlying idea is much older.

Related idioms