English Reference
Idiom idiom

safe and sound


Having come to no harm, especially after being exposed to danger.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

The kids are home safe and sound.

CONTEXTUAL

After the storm passed, we found the dog hiding in the shed, safe and sound.

COMPLEX

When the rescue team finally reached the stranded hikers at dawn, they were cold and hungry but thankfully safe and sound.


A conjunction of safe and sound, signifying one who is neither in danger nor lacking in health. The construction finds a parallel in the Old French phrase sauf et sain.


Related idioms5entries
  1. 01

    I can't hear you over the sound of

    Said to dismiss what the interlocutor is saying.

  2. 02

    like the sound of one's own voice

    To talk a lot.

  3. 03

    safe in the knowledge

    Confidently, because one is certain that something relevant to the situation is true.

  4. 04

    sound asleep

    Sleeping still and silently.

  5. 05

    sounds like a plan

    Used to indicate agreement with a proposed suggestion.

Last updated August 10, 2026