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THE IDIOM COLLECTION LEARN & PRACTISE

Feather your own nest

Understand the meaning. See it in context. Make it yours.

01 / UNDERSTAND

Meaning in plain English

Make yourself richer, especially through unfair or dishonest behaviour.

02 / SEE IT IN CONTEXT

The expression in a sentence

  1. In the novel, the treasurer uses club funds to feather his own nest.

03 / CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING

Quick idiom quiz

Try the question without looking back, then write a sentence of your own. You can retry as often as you like.

Can you recall the expression?

Which expression from this lesson matches this meaning?

Make yourself richer, especially through unfair or dishonest behaviour.
Show the answer

Feather your own nest — Make yourself richer, especially through unfair or dishonest behaviour.

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Make it yours

Write one sentence using “Feather your own nest” about your own life.

Check your sentence

Does your sentence match this meaning?

Make yourself richer, especially through unfair or dishonest behaviour.

Compare: In the novel, the treasurer uses club funds to feather his own nest.

Check the spelling and how the expression fits the sentence. Your example can be different.

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More ways to understand and use it

When to use it

Use this disapproving expression when discussing self-serving conduct. It makes a serious criticism, so it is unsuitable as casual praise for saving money.

More examples in context

  • The fictional mayor cared more about feathering her own nest than improving the town.
  • The story exposes a manager who feathers his own nest at everyone else’s expense.

Usage note

Change the possessive to match the subject. The expression usually implies unfair personal gain; it is not a neutral description of earning a salary or building savings.

A short conversation

A: Why do the characters refuse to trust the treasurer?
B: They discover he has been feathering his own nest with their donations.
A: That explains the missing money in the story.

One more practice question

Which behaviour fits “feather your own nest”?

A. Sharing resources fairly without personal gain.
B. Using a position unfairly to enrich yourself.

Check your answer

B. The expression criticises gaining wealth for yourself, especially unfairly.

Related lessons

Meaning and usage checked against Cambridge Dictionary. Explanations, examples and conversation are original.

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