Phrase guide

make a silk purse of a sow's ear

verb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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No pronunciation record was provided for this word.

1

verb

Meaning 1

To produce something refined, admirable, or valuable from something which is unrefined, unpleasant, or of little or no value.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Coined by Stephen Gosson in 1579 in the book The Ephemerides of Phialo: Deuided Into Three Bookes p62v

Across languages

Translations

7 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 化腐朽為神奇 /化腐朽为神奇 (huà fǔxiǔ wéi shénqí) — to produce something refined, from something which is unrefined
  • Finnish: tehdä jotain hyödyllistä — to produce something refined, from something which is unrefined
  • German: aus Scheiße Geld machen — to produce something refined, from something which is unrefined
  • Italian: cavare sangue da una rapa — to produce something refined, from something which is unrefined
  • Italian: cavar sangue da una rapa — to produce something refined, from something which is unrefined
  • Polish: z gówna bata nie ukręcisz — to produce something refined, from something which is unrefined
  • Russian: сде́лать из дерьма́ конфе́тку (sdélatʹ iz derʹmá konfétku) — to produce something refined, from something which is unrefined