Question

Select the meaning of the phrase/idiom.
Be in someone’s shoes.
a)Wear shoes that do not belong to self
b)Be like them
c)To pretend to be somebody else
d)Imagining oneself to be in another person’s situation.

Answer 1

Hint: To be in someone’s shoes means to empathize and understand someone’s situation and feelings.

Complete step-by-step answer:

idioms are groups of words or phrases that have a different meaning from its literal meaning.
The above-given phrase is considered to be a proverb or a saying of the 19th century Native- Americans.
We know the meaning and the origin of the phrase, let’s look at its usage:
Example- Anyone in his shoes would have done the same thing. Here, we can understand that anyone facing X’s situation would have done the same thing.
Let’s examine the given options to select the meaning of the above-given phrase-
a)Wear shoes that do not belong to self- This phrase refers to the literal meaning of wearing someone else’s shoes. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
b)Be like them- It means to imitate or copy the actions or behavior of someone. It has a different meaning from the above-given phrase. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
c)To pretend to be somebody else- It means to pretend to be somebody else, rather than understanding their situation or problems. Hence, it is an incorrect option.
d)Imagining oneself to be in another person’s situation- It means to understand and correlate with someone’s situations and problems.
Hence, the correct answer is Option ‘d’.

Note: Eliminate the options that are least likely to have the same meaning as the above-given phrase.