Phrase guide

the world and his wife

noun · 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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1

noun

Meaning 1

Everyone; a great crowd; a jumbled assortment of people.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: Australia, UK, excessive, plural, plural-only

Examples

  • The world and his wife were at the opening – we could barely move.
  • 1957 July 4, General Secretary, The Textile Institute, A Guide to Careers: No. 32: Textile Technology, New Scientist, page 42, The world and his wife are the customers for whom the textile industry supplies the greatest necessity next to food, and some of the greatest luxuries.
  • 1972 (1905), Natsume Sōseki, Aiko Ito, Graeme Wilson (translators), I Am a Cat (吾輩は猫である), Volume 2, 2002, combined edition, page 187, “ [...] But they have to consider what the world and his wife will say, and when dealing with the world one simply cannot be too careful.”
  • 2001, advertisement, quoted in 2001, Guy Cook, The Discourse of Advertising, page 112, Gripping stuff, Subaru four-wheel drive. The world and his wife′s favourite in fact.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: all the world and Little Billing

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.