Meanings
- idiomaticThat's life; expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances, usually without complaint
Unfortunately the insurance doesn't cover that. Sorry, but it is what it is.
3 more examples
I shall not criticize the Treaty of Versailles. It is a fact. It is what it is.
1926 March 8, “La Semaine du Parlement”, in TimeI would prefer to start further up than where I am, but it is what it is and we'll just go out there and get to work.
2005 November 20, Viv Bernstein, “Stewart Poised to Head Onto Road Less Traveled”, in New York Times, retrieved 24 Jul 2008Air Force One comin' in through the gate Johnson sworn in at 2:38 Let me know when you decide to throw in the towel It is what it is, and it's murder most foul
2020, Bob Dylan, Murder Most FoulSynonyms: c'est la vie, life's a bitch, shit happens, such is life, c'est la vie, it is as it is, it is how it is, life's a bitch
- broadlysometimesWho cares?; I don't care.
1 more example
But more important, while I am aware that "it is what it is" can be used in the "que sera sera" way, I do not agree that my interpretation of it is therefore incorrect. Rather, it is an example of how common it is in language for words and expressions to have more than one meaning, despite the fact that we rarely notice it. […] Regarding my troubles, he detachedly intoned, "Well, it is what it is." […] I recounted thinking: What a gorgeously chilly way of saying "Your problems don't matter to me." He was not using the phrase's other, "que sera sera" meaning, counseling me to accept how things unfold in a Zen-like way. / Those who think of the Zen version of "it is what it is" aren't wrong, however: It is often used that way when referring to oneself, for example. But those who agree with me that the expression can be dismissive are also correct in thinking of dismissive exchanges such as my own. "It is what it is" has two meanings. / The issue here is language change. The expression "it is what it is" began as counsel about coping. However, an implication floats over the proactive, constructive intent of the phrase: its element of distance, coolness, indifference. Implications like this can take over the word or expression's meaning and create either a new meaning or at least an alternative, 2.0 version.
2023 September 12, John McWhorter, “What Is 'It Is What It Is'?”, in New York Times, retrieved 13 Sep 2023
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see it, is, what, it, is. This thing has its own distinct nature; this thing is itself.
That every thing has a real constitution, whereby it is what it is, and on which its sensible qualities depend, is past doubt.
1690, John Locke, An Essay Concerning Human UnderstandingSynonyms: que sera sera, shit happens, for more see Thesaurus:that's life
Synonyms & antonyms
phraseThat's life; expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances, usually without complaint
phraseUsed other than figuratively or idiomatically: see it, is, what, it, is. This thing has its own distinct nature; this thing is itself.
Translations
Arabic هذا هو الحال, هذا هو الحال
- هذا هو الحال (hādhā huwa al-ḥāl)1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- هذا هو الحال (hādhā huwa al-ḥāl)3. this thing has its own nature
Bulgarian какво́то, тако́ва
- какво́то, тако́ва (kakvóto, takóva)1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
Chinese Mandarin 就是這樣的 /就是这样的, 這就是事實 /这就是事实
- 就是這樣的 /就是这样的 (jiùshìzhèyàngde)1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- 這就是事實 /这就是事实 (zhè jiù shì shìshí)3. this thing has its own nature
- 就是這樣的 /就是这样的 (jiùshìzhèyàngde)3. this thing has its own nature
Danish det er hvad det er
- det er hvad det er3. this thing has its own nature
Dutch het is wat het is
- het is wat het is3. this thing has its own nature
Finnish niin se vain on, näin se vain on
- niin se vain on1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- näin se vain on1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- sellaista se vain on1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- niin se vain menee1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- se on, mitä on3. this thing has its own nature
French c'est comme ça
- c'est comme ça3. this thing has its own nature
Greek είναι ό,τι είναι
- είναι ό,τι είναι (eínai ó,ti eínai)3. this thing has its own nature
Hindi जो है सो है, जो है सो है
- जो है सो है (jo hai so hai)1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- जो है सो है (jo hai so hai)3. this thing has its own nature
Hungarian ez van
- ez van1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
Italian non c'è più niente da fare, vada come vada
- non c'è più niente da fare1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- vada come vada3. this thing has its own nature
- è così3. this thing has its own nature
Japanese 仕方がない, しょうがない
- 仕方がない (shikata ga nai)1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- しょうがない (shō ga nai)1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- そういうもの (sou iu mono)3. this thing has its own nature
Lithuanian bus tas kas bus, nieko nepadarysi
- bus tas kas bus1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- nieko nepadarysi1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
Persian همین است که هست
- همین است که هست (hamin ast ke hast)3. this thing has its own nature
Polish jest jak jest, jest jak jest
- jest jak jest1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- jest jak jest3. this thing has its own nature
Portuguese é o que é, a vida é assim
- é o que é1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- a vida é assim3. this thing has its own nature
- essa é a vida3. this thing has its own nature
Romanian aia e
- aia e1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
Russian что есть, то есть
- что есть3. this thing has its own nature
- то есть3. this thing has its own nature
Spanish es lo que hay, qué se le va a hacer
- es lo que hay1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- qué se le va a hacer1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- así pasa cuando sucede1. phrase expressing resignment to a situation or set of circumstances
- es lo que es3. this thing has its own nature
Swedish det är vad det är
- det är vad det är3. this thing has its own nature
Vietnamese đành vậy thôi
- đành vậy thôi3. this thing has its own nature
Cite this entry
it is what it is. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20is%20what%20it%20is
“it is what it is.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20is%20what%20it%20is. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “it is what it is,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/it%20is%20what%20it%20is.
Source: it is what it is on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.