Meanings
- idiomaticnot comparableBorn rich, or into a wealthy family.
Near-synonyms: born to the purple, to the manor born
1 more example
He was born with a silver spoon in his mouth and probably never had to work a day in his life.
Synonyms: born to the purple, to the manor born
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectiveBorn rich, or into a wealthy family.
Origin
* According to some, the original nautical expression is just born with a silver spoon and describes those young gentlemen who were able to enter the Royal Navy without examination and whose promotion was assured. The converse was born with a wooden ladle. * However, the phrase is first recorded as a Scottish proverb in the form "Every Man is no born with a Silver Spoon in his Mouth" (1721).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic وُلِدَ وَفِي فَمِهِ مِلْعَقَةٌ مِن ذَهَب
- وُلِدَ وَفِي فَمِهِ مِلْعَقَةٌ مِن ذَهَب (wulida wafī famihi milʕaqatun min ḏahab)born rich or in a wealthy family
Chinese Mandarin 含著金勺子出生的
- 含著金勺子出生的born rich or in a wealthy family
Danish født med sølvske i munden
- født med sølvske i mundenborn rich or in a wealthy family
Dutch met een gouden lepel in de mond geboren
- met een gouden lepel in de mond geborenborn rich or in a wealthy family
Finnish syntynyt kultalusikka suussa
- syntynyt kultalusikka suussaborn rich or in a wealthy family
French né avec une cuillère d'argent dans la bouche
- né avec une cuillère d'argent dans la boucheborn rich or in a wealthy family
German mit goldenem Löffel im Mund geboren
- mit goldenem Löffel im Mund geborenborn rich or in a wealthy family
Greek γεννημένος στα πλούτη, γεννήθηκα στα πούπουλα
- γεννημένος στα πλούτη (genniménos sta ploúti)born rich or in a wealthy family
- γεννήθηκα στα πούπουλα (genníthika sta poúpoula)born rich or in a wealthy family
Irish rugadh é le spúnóg airgid ina bhéal
- rugadh é le spúnóg airgid ina bhéalborn rich or in a wealthy family
Italian nascere con la camicia
- nascere con la camiciaborn rich or in a wealthy family
Japanese 裕福な家庭に生まれる
- 裕福な家庭に生まれる (yūfuku na katei ni umareru)born rich or in a wealthy family
Latvian piedzimis zem laimīgas zvaigznes
- piedzimis zem laimīgas zvaigznesborn rich or in a wealthy family
Norwegian Bokmål å være født med sølvskje i munnen
- å være født med sølvskje i munnenborn rich or in a wealthy family
Polish być w czepku urodzonym
- być w czepku urodzonymborn rich or in a wealthy family
Portuguese nascer em berço de ouro
- nascer em berço de ouroborn rich or in a wealthy family
Romanian născut cu o lingură de argint în gură
- născut cu o lingură de argint în gurăborn rich or in a wealthy family
Russian роди́ться в соро́чке
- роди́ться в соро́чке (rodítʹsja v soróčke)born rich or in a wealthy family
Spanish nacer en cuna de oro, criarse en buena cuna
- nacer en cuna de oroborn rich or in a wealthy family
- criarse en buena cunaborn rich or in a wealthy family
Swedish född med silversked i mun
- född med silversked i munborn rich or in a wealthy family
Thai คาบช้อนเงินช้อนทองมาเกิด, คาบช้อนทองมาเกิด
- คาบช้อนเงินช้อนทองมาเกิดborn rich or in a wealthy family
- คาบช้อนทองมาเกิดborn rich or in a wealthy family
Vietnamese sinh ra ở vạch đích, sinh ra ngậm thìa vàng
- sinh ra ở vạch đíchborn rich or in a wealthy family
- sinh ra ngậm thìa vàngborn rich or in a wealthy family
Cite this entry
born with a silver spoon in one's mouth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/born%20with%20a%20silver%20spoon%20in%20one's%20mouth
“born with a silver spoon in one's mouth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/born%20with%20a%20silver%20spoon%20in%20one's%20mouth. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “born with a silver spoon in one's mouth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/born%20with%20a%20silver%20spoon%20in%20one's%20mouth.
Source: born with a silver spoon in one's mouth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.