give a fig

verb

To care what someone else thinks or does, particularly in relation to what they think or say about the speaker.

“I couldn’t give a fig!”

Similar
becarebothercareconcern oneselfheedmindrecktrouble oneself
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Meanings

verbgive a fig (third-person singular simple present gives a fig, present participle giving a fig, simple past gave a fig, past participle given a fig)

present singular third person gives a fig · participle present giving a fig · past gave a fig · participle past given a fig

  1. euphemisticinformalnegativeTo care what someone else thinks or does, particularly in relation to what they think or say about the speaker.

    I couldn’t give a fig!

    2 more examples

    For Corinius, who gave not a fig for music or dirges, but liked well of carding and dicing, had brought forth his dice box to play with the son of Corund.

    1922, E[ric] R[ücker] Eddison, The Worm Ouroboros: A Romance, London: Jonathan Cape […], →OCLC, page 32

    The railroads owned by U.S. Steel have never given a fig for prestige so long as their owner's ore was hauled to the mills economically.

    1959, David P. Morgan, editor, Steam's Finest Hour, Kalmbach Publishing Co., page 28

    Synonyms: becare, bother, care, concern oneself, heed, mind, reck, trouble oneself

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo care what someone else thinks or does, particularly in relation to what they think or say about the speaker.

Similar
becarebothercareconcern oneselfheedmindrecktrouble oneselfworry
Cite this entry
APA

give a fig. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20a%20fig

MLA

“give a fig.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20a%20fig. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “give a fig,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/give%20a%20fig.

Source: give a fig on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.