free as a bird
Meaning
Completely free and unrestrained; able to go or do what you want without obligations.
Origin
From the image of birds flying where they please, symbolizing lack of constraints. The comparison βas β¦ asβ is a common English simile pattern; itβs been used in English for centuries.
Notes
Often describes a feeling of release from duties or restrictions; slightly poetic. More about personal freedom than legal rights.
Examples
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After the divorce was finalized, she felt free as a bird for the first time in years.
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With no classes on Friday, I'm free as a bird and ready for a road trip.
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Once he quit the job he hated, he walked out of the office free as a bird.
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Now that the kids are grown, my parents are free as a bird to travel whenever they want.
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As soon as the exam ended, everyone rushed outside, free as a bird.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually used after a linking verb: βbe/feel as free as a bird.β Can intensify: βas free as a bird now.β The simile is fairly fixed; βa birdβ is standard.
Synonyms
- free as the wind
- unfettered
- unrestricted
Antonyms
- tied down
- restricted
- constrained