# all things to all people

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/all-things-to-all-people
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Someone or something that entirely satisfies the expectations of everyone, no matter how diverse and conflicting those expectations may be.

## Examples

- You cannot be all things to all people.
- This new restaurant menu tries to be all things to all people.
- The politician tried to be all things to all people, but his vague promises eventually disappointed both sides.
- The new smartphone app fails because it tries to be all things to all people instead of focusing on one specific group of users.
- A leader who attempts to be all things to all people often finds that by trying to please everyone, they ultimately satisfy no one at all.

## Origin

From the King James Version of the Holy Bible, specifically 1 Corinthians 9:22, in which the apostle writes of his attempts to accommodate himself to various audiences: "To the weak became I as weak, that I might gain the weak: I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some." The phrasing entered the general lexicon as a description of versatile, if sometimes inconsistent, social or political adaptation.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.