Meanings
present singular third person turns over a new leaf · participle present turning over a new leaf · participle past turned over a new leaf · past turned over a new leaf
- idiomaticTo engage in self-improvement; to begin a good habit or shed a bad habit.
Every year he resolves to turn over a new leaf and start exercising.
Synonyms: start with a clean sheet, turn the page
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo engage in self-improvement; to begin a good habit or shed a bad habit.
antonym(s) of “determination to do what is wrong or destructive”
Origin
Figurative by the same metaphor as with turn the page.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Basque orrialdeko pasatu, orria pasa
- orrialdeko pasatuto engage in self-improvement
- orria pasato engage in self-improvement
Chinese Mandarin 改過自新 /改过自新, 棄舊圖新 /弃旧图新
- 改過自新 /改过自新 (gǎiguòzìxīn)to engage in self-improvement
- 棄舊圖新 /弃旧图新 (qìjiùtúxīn)to engage in self-improvement
- 悔過自新 /悔过自新 (huǐguòzìxīn)to engage in self-improvement
- 改行自新 (gǎixíngzìxīn)to engage in self-improvement
- 重新做人 (chóngxīn zuòrén)to engage in self-improvement
- 放下屠刀 (fàngxiàtúdāo)to engage in self-improvement
Danish tage skeen i den anden hånd
- tage skeen i den anden håndto engage in self-improvement
Finnish kääntää uusi lehti
- kääntää uusi lehtito engage in self-improvement
French tourner une nouvelle page
- tourner une nouvelle pageto engage in self-improvement
German ein neues Leben beginnen, einen neuen Kapitel aufschlagen
- ein neues Leben beginnento engage in self-improvement
- einen neuen Kapitel aufschlagento engage in self-improvement
Japanese 心を入れ替える
- 心を入れ替える (kokoro o irekaeru)to engage in self-improvement
Polish rozpoczynać nowy rozdział, rozpocząć nowy rozdział
- rozpoczynać nowy rozdziałto engage in self-improvement
- rozpocząć nowy rozdziałto engage in self-improvement
Russian нача́ть с чи́стого листа́, нача́ть жить по-но́вому
- нача́ть с чи́стого листа́ (načátʹ s čístovo listá)to engage in self-improvement
- нача́ть жить по-но́вому (načátʹ žitʹ po-nóvomu)to engage in self-improvement
Spanish pasar de página
- pasar de páginato engage in self-improvement
Cite this entry
turn over a new leaf. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20over%20a%20new%20leaf
“turn over a new leaf.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20over%20a%20new%20leaf. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turn over a new leaf,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20over%20a%20new%20leaf.
Source: turn over a new leaf on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.