Generosity enriches lives and spreads joy among people. In this blog post, we explore 20 idioms that perfectly encapsulate the spirit of giving and selflessness, each with their unique flair and cultural background.
Idioms That Describe Generosity
1. Open-handed
Meaning: Generous and giving freely.
Example: He’s open-handed with his time.
2. Give the shirt off one’s back
Meaning: Extremely generous to a fault.
Example: She’d give her shirt off her back.
3. Heart in the right place
Meaning: Intending to do good things.
Example: His heart is always right.
4. Born with a silver spoon
Meaning: Born into wealth and privilege.
Example: He was born with a silver spoon.
5. Lend a helping hand
Meaning: Offer help or assistance.
Example: Always ready to lend a hand.
6. Not know the meaning of the word ‘no’
Meaning: Very generous, always agreeing to help.
Example: She never knows the word ‘no.’
7. Go the extra mile
Meaning: Do much more than is required.
Example: He goes the extra mile for friends.
8. As generous as the day is long
Meaning: Very generous.
Example: She’s as generous as days long.
9. Give freely
Meaning: Offer something willingly without expecting anything back.
Example: They always give freely to others.
10. Hand out
Meaning: Distribute or give to people.
Example: They hand out meals every Sunday.
11. Big-hearted
Meaning: Kind, generous in spirit.
Example: A truly big-hearted leader.
12. Share and share alike
Meaning: Use or own something jointly.
Example: They share and share alike.
13. Philanthropic
Meaning: Charitable, wanting to promote the welfare of others.
Example: Her philanthropic efforts are vast.
14. Spread the wealth
Meaning: Share money, benefits with others.
Example: He likes to spread the wealth.
15. Pay it forward
Meaning: Respond to a person’s kindness by being kind to someone else.
Example: Always pay it forward daily.
16. Give till it hurts
Meaning: Give very generously or to the point of personal sacrifice.
Example: She gives till it hurts.
17. Have a heart of gold
Meaning: To be very kind and generous.
Example: He has a heart of gold.
18. Give someone the coat off one’s back
Meaning: Be extremely generous and helpful.
Example: Ready to give his coat back.
19. Grease someone’s palm
Meaning: To give someone money, especially as a bribe.
Example: He greased the official’s palm.
20. Spare no expense
Meaning: Spend a lot of money to make something successful.
Example: They spared no expense for the event.
