wear on one's sleeve

verb

To express (an emotion, belief, or stance) overtly and make it an important part of one's public life.

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Meanings

verbwear on one's sleeve (third-person singular simple present wears on one's sleeve, present participle wearing on one's sleeve, simple past wore on one's sleeve, past participle worn on one's sleeve)

present singular third person wears on one's sleeve · participle present wearing on one's sleeve · past wore on one's sleeve · participle past worn on one's sleeve

  1. transitiveTo express (an emotion, belief, or stance) overtly and make it an important part of one's public life.

    But religion is the one thing they encourage you to wear on your sleeve.

    2008 June 25, Neela Banerjee, “Religion and Its Role Are in Dispute at the Service Academies”, in New York Times
    1 more example

    While he may wear his idealism and good-heartedness on his shirt sleeve, his passion is exuded more as an intellectualized than as a deeply felt quality. In modulating his voice, that is, Canin has chosen a character whose temperance might be admirable among the living but is less engaging when encountered in literature.

    2008 June 28, Art Winslow, “Ethan Canin's "America, America"”, in Chicago Tribune, archived from the original on 21 May 2009

Origin

This phrase may derive from a mediaeval custom at jousting matches. Knights are said to have worn the colours of the lady they were supporting, in cloths or ribbons tied to their arms. The term does not date from that period though, and is first recorded in Shakespeare's Othello, 1604, in which the treacherous Iago's plan was to feign openness and vulnerability in order to appear faithful.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 襟懷坦蕩 /襟怀坦荡
  • 襟懷坦蕩 /襟怀坦荡express an emotion, belief, or stance overtly
Finnish ilmaista avoimesti
  • ilmaista avoimestiexpress an emotion, belief, or stance overtly
Polish mieć serce na dłoni
  • mieć serce na dłoniexpress an emotion, belief, or stance overtly
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“wear on one's sleeve.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/wear%20on%20one's%20sleeve. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

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

Source: wear on one's sleeve on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.