That's a fantastic request! William Shakespeare is credited with coining or popularizing over 1,700 words and countless phrases in the English language. You use his words and idioms all the time without even knowing it!
Here is a look at some of the most common words and phrases Shakespeare used first in his plays:
🎭 Everyday Words Coined by Shakespeare
Shakespeare often created new words by adding prefixes or suffixes, combining existing words, or changing nouns into verbs.
| Word | Play Introduced In | Modern Meaning |
| Addiction | Othello | The state of being devoted or inclined to something (originally used less negatively than today). |
| Bedazzled | The Taming of the Shrew | Overwhelmed by something sparkling or shining. |
| Bedroom | A Midsummer Night's Dream | A room for sleeping (still the same!). |
| Cold-blooded | King John | Without emotion or pity; deliberately cruel. |
| Critic | Love's Labour's Lost | A person who judges the merits of something. |
| Eyeball | The Tempest | The ball of the eye (still the same!). |
| Fashionable | Troilus and Cressida | Trendy; conforming to the current style. |
| Gloomy | Titus Andronicus | Dark, dim, or depressing. |
| Lonely | Coriolanus | Sad because one has no friends or company. |
| Majestic | Henry VIII | Grand, impressive, or stately. |
| Radiance | The Two Gentlemen of Verona | Light or heat as emitted or reflected by something. |
| Swagger | A Midsummer Night's Dream | To walk or behave in a conceited or arrogant way. |
| Uncomfortable | Romeo and Juliet | Causing or feeling slight discomfort. |
| Zany | Love's Labour's Lost | Droll, clownish, or madcap. |
🗣️ Common Phrases & Idioms Invented by Shakespeare
These are idioms and expressions that are still firmly part of modern English:
| Phrase | Meaning | Play Introduced In |
| "Break the ice" | To initiate social interaction; to start a conversation to reduce awkward tension. | The Taming of the Shrew |
| "The world's your oyster" | You are in a position to take advantage of life's opportunities. | The Merry Wives of Windsor |
| "In a pickle" | To be in a difficult or uncomfortable situation. | The Tempest |
| "It's Greek to me" | Something that is unintelligible or incomprehensible. | Julius Caesar |
| "The green-eyed monster" | Jealousy (which devours its victim from the inside). | Othello |
| "Wild-goose chase" | A foolish, frustrating, or hopeless quest. | Romeo and Juliet |
| "Wear your heart on your sleeve" | To openly and plainly show your true feelings. | Othello |
| "Good riddance" | An expression of relief at being free of an unwelcome person or thing. | Troilus and Cressida |
| "All that glitters is not gold" | Things that look attractive on the surface may not be valuable. | The Merchant of Venice |
| "Too much of a good thing" | Even enjoyable things become unpleasant if you have them in excess. | As You Like It |
| "What's done is done" | It's impossible to change what has already happened. | Macbeth |
| "Own flesh and blood" | One's close relatives or family. | Hamlet |
| "Brave new world" | A phrase now often used ironically to refer to a new, exciting, but sometimes troubling, reality. | The Tempest |
| "The be-all and the end-all" | The ultimate, the most important thing. | Macbeth |
| "Eaten me out of house and home" | To eat so much that a person's food and resources are completely depleted. | Henry IV, Part 2 |
Would you like me to look up the origin of another specific word or phrase you suspect might be from Shakespeare?
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