stand on one's own two feet

verb

To be independent and self-sufficient; to survive without any help.

“It's about time he left home and learnt how to stand on his own two feet.”

Similar
stand on one's own legs
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbstand on one's own two feet (third-person singular simple present stands on one's own two feet, present participle standing on one's own two feet, simple past and past participle stood on one's own two feet)

present singular third person stands on one's own two feet · participle present standing on one's own two feet · participle past stood on one's own two feet · past stood on one's own two feet

  1. idiomaticTo be independent and self-sufficient; to survive without any help.

    It's about time he left home and learnt how to stand on his own two feet.

    1 more example

    Tina is too proud to ask for help and would prefer to stand on her own two feet, she says.

    2023 December 22, Robyn Vinter, “‘That’s how we’ve got to live’: the black market in England’s shoplifting capital”, in The Guardian, →ISSN

    Synonyms: stand on one's own legs

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo be independent and self-sufficient; to survive without any help.

Similar
stand on one's own legs

Translations

Danish stå på egne ben
  • stå på egne benidiomatic: to be independent
Dutch op eigen benen staan
  • op eigen benen staanidiomatic: to be independent
Finnish seisoa omilla jaloillaan, tulla toimeen omillaan
  • seisoa omilla jaloillaanidiomatic: to be independent
  • tulla toimeen omillaanidiomatic: to be independent
French voler de ses propres ailes
  • voler de ses propres ailesidiomatic: to be independent
German auf eigenen Beinen stehen
  • auf eigenen Beinen stehenidiomatic: to be independent
Indonesian berdikari
  • berdikariidiomatic: to be independent
Malay berdikari
  • berdikariidiomatic: to be independent
Norwegian Bokmål stå på egne bein, stå på egne ben
  • stå på egne beinidiomatic: to be independent
  • stå på egne benidiomatic: to be independent
Polish stawać na własnych nogach, stanąć na własnych nogach
  • stawać na własnych nogachidiomatic: to be independent
  • stanąć na własnych nogachidiomatic: to be independent
Portuguese caminhar com as próprias pernas
  • caminhar com as próprias pernasidiomatic: to be independent
Russian стоя́ть на со́бственных нога́х
  • стоя́ть на со́бственных нога́х (stojátʹ na sóbstvennyx nogáx)idiomatic: to be independent
Tagalog tumayo sa sariling mga paa
  • tumayo sa sariling mga paaidiomatic: to be independent
Turkish kendi ayakları üzerinde durmak, kendi yağıyla kavrulmak
  • kendi ayakları üzerinde durmakidiomatic: to be independent
  • kendi yağıyla kavrulmakidiomatic: to be independent
Vietnamese tự lập
  • tự lậpidiomatic: to be independent
Cite this entry
APA

stand on one's own two feet. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20on%20one's%20own%20two%20feet

MLA

“stand on one's own two feet.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20on%20one's%20own%20two%20feet. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “stand on one's own two feet,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/stand%20on%20one's%20own%20two%20feet.

Source: stand on one's own two feet on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.