stand in someone's shoes

verb

To see from another's point of view; to feel what another feels.

“How would it be, if you were standing in my shoes?”

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Meanings

verbstand in someone's shoes (third-person singular simple present stands in someone's shoes, present participle standing in someone's shoes, simple past and past participle stood in someone's shoes)

present singular third person stands in someone's shoes · participle present standing in someone's shoes · participle past stood in someone's shoes · past stood in someone's shoes

  1. idiomaticTo see from another's point of view; to feel what another feels.

    How would it be, if you were standing in my shoes?

    1 more example

    “So it took an eight-year-old child to bring ‘em to their senses, didn’t it?” said Atticus. “That proves something—that a gang of wild animals can be stopped, simply because they’re still human. Hmp, maybe we need a police force of children… you children last night made Walter Cunningham stand in my shoes for a minute. That was enough.”

    1960 July 11, Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Philadelphia, Pa.; New York, N.Y.: J[oshua] B[allinger] Lippincott Company, →OCLC

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
step into someone's shoes

Translations

Czech být na něčím místě, být někým (být tebou apod.)
  • být na něčím místěto be in situation of somebody else
  • být někým (být tebou apod.)to be in situation of somebody else
  • být v něčí kůžito be in situation of somebody else
German an jemandes Stelle sein, an jemandes Stelle stehen
  • an jemandes Stelle seinto be in situation of somebody else
  • an jemandes Stelle stehento be in situation of somebody else
  • wenn ich du wäreto be in situation of somebody else
  • in jemandes Haut steckento be in situation of somebody else
Polish postawić się na czyimś miejscu
  • postawić się na czyimś miejscuto be in situation of somebody else
Cite this entry
APA

stand in someone's shoes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20in%20someone's%20shoes

MLA

“stand in someone's shoes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20in%20someone's%20shoes. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stand in someone's shoes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20in%20someone's%20shoes.

Source: stand in someone's shoes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.