Meanings
verbrest on one's laurels (third-person singular simple present rests on one's laurels, present participle resting on one's laurels, simple past and past participle rested on one's laurels)
present singular third person rests on one's laurels · participle present resting on one's laurels · participle past rested on one's laurels · past rested on one's laurels
- idiomaticTo rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further.
Manchester City won an incredible five trophies last year but the most successful sides rarely rest on their laurels and they will be determined to enjoy success again this year.
2024 January 7, Gary Rose, “Manchester City 5-0 Huddersfield Town”, in BBC Sport1 more example
"Rail has a good basis for promoting green travel options, but we can't rest on our laurels. We need to keep on moving forwards because other modes are upping their games as well," says Brennan-Brown.
2020 December 16, Daniel Puddicombe, “Treated DMUs become cleaner and greener”, in Rail, page 47
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Translations
Catalan adormir-se sobre els llorers, aturar-se sobre els llorers
- adormir-se sobre els llorersrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- aturar-se sobre els llorersrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- estacionar-se sobre els llorersrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- estancar-se sobre els llorersrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Chinese Cantonese 食老本
- 食老本rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Chinese Mandarin 安於現狀，不思進取 /安于现状, 不思进取
- 安於現狀，不思進取 /安于现状rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- 不思进取 (ānyú xiànzhuàng, bùsī jìnqǔ)rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Czech usnout na vavřínech
- usnout na vavřínechrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Danish hvile på sine laurbær
- hvile på sine laurbærrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Dutch op zijn lauweren rusten
- op zijn lauweren rustenrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Finnish levätä laakereillaan
- levätä laakereillaanrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
French se reposer sur ses lauriers, s'endormir sur ses lauriers
- se reposer sur ses lauriersrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- s'endormir sur ses lauriersrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- s'endormir dans les délices de Capouerely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- s'endormir sur le rôtirely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
German sich auf seinen Lorbeeren ausruhen
- sich auf seinen Lorbeeren ausruhenrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Greek επαναπαύομαι στις δάφνες μου, αναπαύομαι στις δάφνες μου
- επαναπαύομαι στις δάφνες μου (epanapávomai stis dáfnes mou)rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- αναπαύομαι στις δάφνες μου (anapávomai stis dáfnes mou)rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Hebrew נח על זרי הדפנה
- נח על זרי הדפנה (nakh al zeréi hadafná)rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Hungarian ül a babérjain
- ül a babérjainrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Italian riposare sugli allori, dormire sugli allori
- riposare sugli allorirely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- dormire sugli allorirely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- adagiarsi sugli allorirely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- sedersi sugli allorirely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Japanese 胡坐をかく, 胡座をかく
- 胡坐をかく (agura o kaku)rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- 胡座をかく (agura o kaku)rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Latvian atdusēties uz lauriem
- atdusēties uz lauriemrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Lithuanian užmigti ant laurų, ilsėtis ant laurų
- užmigti ant laurųrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- ilsėtis ant laurųrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Norwegian Bokmål hvile på sine laurbær
- hvile på sine laurbærrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Polish spoczywać na laurach, spocząć na laurach
- spoczywać na laurachrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- spocząć na laurachrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Portuguese dormir sobre os louros, dormir sobre os louros colhidos
- dormir sobre os lourosrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- dormir sobre os louros colhidosrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- dormir à sombra dos lourosrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- adormecer sobre os lourosrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Romanian a se culca pe-o ureche, a se culca pe lauri
- a se culca pe-o urecherely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- a se culca pe laurirely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Russian почива́ть на ла́врах, останови́ться на дости́гнутом
- почива́ть на ла́врах (počivátʹ na lávrax)rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- останови́ться на дости́гнутом (ostanovítʹsja na dostígnutom)rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Slovak odpočívať na vavrínoch, odpočinúť na vavrínoch
- odpočívať na vavrínochrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- odpočinúť na vavrínochrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Spanish dormirse en los laureles, dormir en los laureles
- dormirse en los laurelesrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- dormir en los laurelesrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- sentarse en sus laurelesrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- dormirse sobre los laurelesrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Swedish vila på sina lagrar, vila på lagrarna
- vila på sina lagrarrely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
- vila på lagrarnarely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Ukrainian спочива́ти на ла́врах
- спочива́ти на ла́врах (spočyváty na lávrax)rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Cite this entry
APA
rest on one's laurels. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rest%20on%20one's%20laurels
MLA
“rest on one's laurels.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rest%20on%20one's%20laurels. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “rest on one's laurels,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/rest%20on%20one's%20laurels.
Source: rest on one's laurels on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.