Idioms With Verb See

“See” turns up in more English idioms than an overly nosy neighbour at the window. From “see red” to “see eye to eye”, this page is packed with common idioms using the verb “see”, along with meanings and example sentences to help you understand them without seeing stars.

What does ‘see’ mean?

The word “see” can mean many different things. As a verb, it can mean to understand something or to notice something with your eyes.

For example:

  • I can see your point. (understand)
  • I saw Katy with Benji. (notice with the eyes)

“See” is an irregular verb. The past tense is “saw” and the past participle is “seen”.

Check out my grammar section if you want to learn more about verbs.

Common English Idioms with “See” and Their Meanings

verb phrases - see

can’t see the wood for the trees

meaning: cannot understand the whole situation because you are too focused on small details
examples:

  • I hate the people who run this country. They can’t see the wood for the trees.
  • Sam spent so long fixing tiny design issues that he couldn’t see the wood for the trees.
  • We’ve argued about little problems for weeks and completely lost sight of the main issue. We can’t see the wood for the trees.
Cartoon football scene showing the idiom “can’t see the wood for the trees” with a coach focusing on one missed pass while the team loses 6-0.

glad to see the back of

meaning: happy or relieved that someone or something has gone away or ended
examples:

  • I’m glad to see the back of winter. It’s been very cold this year.
  • We were all glad to see the back of our old manager after months of chaos in the office.
  • I’ll be glad to see the back of these train strikes. Getting to work has been a nightmare.
A cartoon of a school choir singing while a boy in the back makes silly faces, illustrating the idiom "glad to see the back of" with two frustrated teachers in the foreground.

long time no see

meaning: a greeting you say to someone you haven’t seen in a long time
examples:

  • Long time no see, mate. Are you still with the missus, or has she finally binned you?
  • Long time no see! How have you been since you left the job at the café?
  • Long time no see, I didn’t even recognise you at first. Are you still living in London?
A cartoon illustration of two men waving to each other in a sunny park while walking with their young sons, representing the idiom "long time no see."

monkey see, monkey do

meaning: people copy the behaviour or actions of others without thinking
examples:

  • People play violent games, then act them out in real life. “Monkey see, monkey do.”
  • Children often copy bad language they hear at home. Monkey see, monkey do.
  • My little brother saw me dive into the puddle and jumped straight in after me. Monkey see, monkey do.
A cartoon illustration of a boy splashing in a puddle while another boy cries after getting stuck in deep mud, illustrating the idiom "monkey see, monkey do."

see a man about a dog

meaning: a humorous excuse for leaving without saying the real reason
examples:

  • I’ll be back in a few minutes; I’ve got to see a man about a dog.
  • He suddenly got up at the pub and said he had to see a man about a dog, then walked out without explaining anything,
  • She smiled and said she was just popping out to see a man about a dog, so we didn’t ask where she was going.
“I’m off! I’ve got to see a man about a dog.” sounds natural and is exactly how the idiom is often used in spoken English

see eye to eye

meaning: to agree with someone or have the same opinion as them
examples:

  • My siblings and I see eye to eye about putting our great aunt into a home.
  • My boss and I don’t always see eye to eye on how the project should be managed,
  • They finally see eye to eye on where to go for their holiday this year.
A cartoon illustration of a frustrated couple painting a room different colors—the man using light pink and the woman using mid-gray—to demonstrate the idiom "see eye to eye."

see pink elephants

meaning: hallucinations caused by drink or drugs
examples:

  • Joe stayed up for two nights straight and started seeing pink elephants from exhaustion.
  • After drinking far too much at the party, he swore he started seeing pink elephants in the living room.
  • He was so drunk he thought he saw pink elephants walking across the street.
Cartoon illustration of two men with wide eyes holding bottles, representing the idiom "see pink elephants" against a psychedelic background.

see red

meaning: to suddenly become very angry
examples:

  • Brett saw red when he caught some thugs robbing an old man.
  • She saw red when she realised someone had scratched her car in the car park,
  • I see red every time people are rude to staff in restaurants.
Cartoon illustration of a man crashing a red sports car into a lamppost while worrying that his dad will “see red” when he finds out, showing the idiom meaning to become very angry.

see something through

meaning: to continue doing something until it is finished, despite difficulties
examples:

  • I started the project so I’m going to see it through.
  • He promised she would see the course through, even when the work became stressful.
  • We’ve spent too much money on the house renovation to give up now, so we need to see it through.
A medical student studying late at night looking exhausted, visualizing the idiom "see something through."

see the colour of one’s money

meaning: to prove that you really have the money to pay for something.
examples:

  • I’m not bluffing. I’ll raise you £200 and show you the colour of my money.
  • The landlord wouldn’t agree to rent us the flat until he’d seen the colour of our money,
  • If you want those concert tickets, you’ll need to show me the colour of your money first.
A comic illustration of a man in a car showroom proving he has enough money to buy a luxury car, illustrating the idiom "see the colour of one’s money."

see which way the wind blows

meaning: to delay making a decision until you see how a situation develops or which direction things are going before committing
examples:

  • The president will see which way the wind blows before making his decision.
  • I’m not signing the contract yet, I’ll see which way the wind blows after the next round of negotiations.
  • She’s waiting to see which way the wind blows in the job market before deciding whether to move abroad.
Cartoon election scene showing a voter holding a voting slip while listening to political speeches, illustrating the idiom “see which way the wind blows”.

seen better days

meaning: old, worn out, or in poor condition
examples:

  • Toby’s car has seen better days. The exhaust fell off today.
  • My trainers have seen better days after all the hiking we did in Thailand.
  • The old caravan has definitely seen better days, but it still works.
Cartoon illustration of an elderly man looking at a worn-out armchair while saying “My chair has seen better days”, illustrating the English idiom “seen better days”.
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Conclusion

English loves throwing the verb “see” into idioms, usually when nobody is actually looking at anything. From “see red” to “see eye to eye”, these expressions are everywhere in everyday conversations. Learning them will help you understand native speakers more easily and make your English sound far more natural. Now you’ve seen them all in one place. See what I did there?

Learn More English Idioms, Phrasal Verbs and Grammar

If you enjoyed these “see” idioms, there’s plenty more strange English waiting for you. Have a wander through our other idiom pages, explore phrasal verbs, or dive into the grammar section if you enjoy confusing yourself with tenses for recreational purposes. You can also head over to the YouTube channel for quizzes, English lessons, grammar help, idioms, vocabulary practice, and all sorts of wonderfully nerdy language content.

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