# if the shoe fits, wear it

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/if-the-shoe-fits-wear-it
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

If a description fits, it is probably the case; if an insult accurately describes you, you must bear it; if you take offence at an insult that was only implicitly directed at you, you admit the insult is true enough to be recognizable.

## Examples

- If the shoe fits, wear it.
- He complained that the boss was being lazy, so when his colleague told him he was the lazy one, he said, if the shoe fits, wear it.
- She did not name him directly, but when he took offense at her critique of dishonest people, she simply replied that if the shoe fits, wear it.

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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.