HomeServicesBlogDictionariesContactSpanish Course
← Back to search

Meaning of stand on someone's shoulders | Babel Free

Verb CEFR C2

Definitions

To build on the previous discoveries or creativity of someone.

idiomatic

Examples

“What then can we say of the relevance of Classical languages and literature, Greek and Latin; what reason can we offer for the study of long dead languages. The answer is much in every way. For better or worse, we stand on the shoulders of the ancients, if not at their feet.”
“On this day, as the world watches your sojourn here, / I ask with simple courtesy, “Have you looked within yourself?” / If you had, then you would know who you are / and that you stand on the shoulders of all your ancestors / who have prepared the path for your journey. / Look within, and then look forward. […]”

CEFR level

C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.

See also

Learn this word in context

See stand on someone's shoulders used in real conversations inside our free language course.

Start Free Course