ENGLISH
REFERENCE

feather one's nest

idiom
Meaning

To achieve benefits, especially financial ones, by taking advantage of the opportunities with which one is presented; to amass a comfortable amount of personal wealth; especially, to do so to a degree that involves venality.


Examples
SIMPLE

He used his position to feather his own nest.

CONTEXTUAL

The manager was fired after the board discovered he had been feathering his nest with company funds.

COMPLEX

The corrupt official spent his entire career feathering his nest, indifferent to the public trust he had systematically betrayed for personal gain.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    abound in one's own sense

    To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.

  2. 02

    ace up one's sleeve

    A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.

  3. 03

    act one's age

    To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.

  4. 04

    act one's age, not one's shoe size

    Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).

  5. 05

    afraid of one's own shadow

    Exceptionally timid.

  6. 06

    air one's dirty laundry in public

    To reveal one's sordid secrets to the public.

  7. 07

    air one's dirty linen in public

    Synonym of air one's dirty laundry in public.

  8. 08

    albatross around one's neck

    A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.

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