walk on eggshells

Meaning

To 'walk on eggshells' means to be extremely careful with your words and actions around someone to avoid making them angry, upset, or offended. It is typically used in tense personal or professional relationships where one person's mood is highly unpredictable or sensitive. The tone is usually weary or stressed.

Examples

• Ever since their big argument, Mark feels like he has to walk on eggshells around his roommate.

  Ever since their big argument, Mark feels like he has to walk on eggshells around his roommate.

• You don't need to walk on eggshells around me; just tell me what is on your mind.

  You don't need to walk on eggshells around me; just tell me what is on your mind.

• The atmosphere at the office was so tense that everyone was walking on eggshells.

  The atmosphere at the office was so tense that everyone was walking on eggshells.

• I hate going home for the holidays because I always end up walking on eggshells around my father.

  I hate going home for the holidays because I always end up walking on eggshells around my father.

• Instead of walking on eggshells, why don't you two just sit down and have an honest conversation?

  Instead of walking on eggshells, why don't you two just sit down and have an honest conversation?

Common Mistakes

• ✗ I am walking on the eggshells with my sister.

  ✓ I am walking on eggshells with my sister.

  The idiom does not use the definite article 'the'. It is always 'walk on eggshells'.

• ✗ He walked on eggshells to not make her angry.

  ✓ He walked on eggshells to avoid making her angry.

  While grammatically understandable, 'walk on eggshells' is more naturally paired with 'to avoid [verb]-ing' rather than an infinitive clause of purpose.

Related Expressions

Practice

• I'm tired of having to ___ around my boss whenever he has a bad day.

  💡 Think of walking very carefully on something fragile.

  Show answer

  walk on eggshells

• You can stop ___ now; the argument is over and everything is fine.

  💡 Use the -ing form of the verb.

  Show answer

  walking on eggshells