feather your nest

Meaning

This idiom means to make yourself rich, comfortable, or financially secure, often by taking advantage of your job or position, sometimes in a selfish or dishonest way. While it can occasionally refer to honest saving, it usually carries a slightly critical tone.

Examples

• The CEO was accused of using company funds to feather his own nest.

  The CEO was accused of using company funds to feather his own nest.

• While the employees suffered pay cuts, the managers continued to feather their nests.

  While the employees suffered pay cuts, the managers continued to feather their nests.

• He wasn't interested in public service; he just wanted to feather his nest before retiring.

  He wasn't interested in public service; he just wanted to feather his nest before retiring.

• Some politicians seem more focused on feathering their nests than helping their constituents.

  Some politicians seem more focused on feathering their nests than helping their constituents.

• She worked hard for thirty years to feather her nest for a comfortable retirement.

  She worked hard for thirty years to feather her nest for a comfortable retirement.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ He is feathering his house.

  ✓ He is feathering his nest.

  Idioms are fixed expressions; you cannot substitute 'nest' with 'house' or 'home'.

• ✗ They feathered their nests with stealing money.

  ✓ They feathered their nests by stealing money.

  Use the preposition 'by' followed by a gerund to describe how someone feathers their nest.

Related Expressions

Practice

• The corrupt official used his position to ___ at the taxpayers' expense.

  💡 make himself rich

  Show answer

  feather his nest

• She spent her career trying to ___ so she could enjoy an early retirement.

  💡 secure her financial future

  Show answer

  feather her nest