feet on the ground

noun

Used to indicate behavior or manner characteristic of a sensible and practical person.

“We think we can trust John with this new position, as he has his feet on the ground.”

Opposite
head in the clouds
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Meanings

nounfeet on the ground pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyusuallyUsed to indicate behavior or manner characteristic of a sensible and practical person.

    We think we can trust John with this new position, as he has his feet on the ground.

    1 more example

    The genre of business advice and career advice sometimes comically mixes its metaphors, as for example when it tells us that we must keep our feet on the ground and must also reach for the stars at the same time.

    Antonyms: head in the clouds

  2. pluralplural onlyUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see feet, on, ground.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounUsed to indicate behavior or manner characteristic of a sensible and practical person.

Opposite
head in the clouds

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 脚踏实地
  • 脚踏实地 (jiǎotàshídì)translations for "have one's feet on the ground"
Dutch met beide voeten op de grond blijven
  • met beide voeten op de grond blijventranslations for "have one's feet on the ground"
Finnish pitää jalat maassa
  • pitää jalat maassatranslations for "have one's feet on the ground"
French avoir les pieds sur terre
  • avoir les pieds sur terretranslations for "have one's feet on the ground"
German fest auf der Erde stehen, auf eigenen Füßen stehen
  • fest auf der Erde stehentranslations for "have one's feet on the ground"
  • auf eigenen Füßen stehentranslations for "have one's feet on the ground"
Icelandic hafa jarðsamband
  • hafa jarðsambandtranslations for "have one's feet on the ground"
Italian piedi per terra
  • piedi per terratranslations for "have one's feet on the ground"
Polish but see stąpać twardo po ziemi
  • but see stąpać twardo po ziemitranslations for "have one's feet on the ground"
Portuguese pés na terra
  • pés na terratranslations for "have one's feet on the ground"
Russian твёрдо стоя́ть на нога́х
  • твёрдо стоя́ть на нога́х (tvjórdo stojátʹ na nogáx)translations for "have one's feet on the ground"
Swedish ha fötterna på jorden
  • ha fötterna på jordentranslations for "have one's feet on the ground"
Cite this entry
APA

feet on the ground. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feet%20on%20the%20ground

MLA

“feet on the ground.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feet%20on%20the%20ground. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “feet on the ground,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/feet%20on%20the%20ground.

Source: feet on the ground on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.