rose-colored glasses
A cognitive or perceptual bias where an individual views something in an overly optimistic or positive light, often failing to recognize its negative aspects.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You wear rose-colored glasses when you think about your old school.”
“He sees his new job through rose-colored glasses and ignores the long hours.”
“Stop looking at this broken car through rose-colored glasses.”
“She looks at her past relationship through rose-colored glasses, forgetting all the arguments they had.”
“Investors often view new startups through rose-colored glasses and ignore the high risk of losing their money.”
“You should take off your rose-colored glasses before you sign a contract for that expensive apartment.”
“Travelers often view life in a foreign country through rose-colored glasses until they have to deal with the local taxes and bureaucracy.”
“The politician viewed the economic situation through rose-colored glasses, ignoring the clear signs of decline that worried the rest of the public.”
first recorded 19th c.
Phrase appears as early as 1830 according to OED. From rose-color or rose-colored (meaning "pleasant"), from the notion that roses are widely regarded as uncommonly beautiful.
Last updated August 10, 2026