What does it Mean to ‘Be Born with a Silver Spoon’?

To be born with a silver spoon means to be born rich; to be born in a wealthy family.

There are two similar claims regarding the origin of this idiom. Some people believe that it was traditional for the godparents to gift their godchild a silver spoon when the infant was christened.

Other people claim that the children born into wealthy families were fed with silver spoons and that has given rise to this idiom.

Over time, this phrase has come to signify wealth and fortune. Also, you can use the hyphenated phrase silver-spoon to describe a person’s inherited wealth rather than the earned one.

Let’s see a few examples —

He doesn’t understand the value of hard work because he had a silver-spoon upbringing.

He was brought up in a wealthy family, so he doesn’t value hard work.

I can’t afford to go abroad for my higher studies. I wasn’t born with a silver spoon.

I wasn’t born into a rich family. I don’t have money to go abroad for higher studies.

I hope you found this story interesting. If you did, buy my full course on Udemy or watch it for free on Skillshare by signing up here. This course covers nearly 380 idioms with their origins and backstories.

Hi, I am Gauri Shanker, a Vocab teacher and enthusiast. I teach vocabulary in a fun and engaging way. You can check out my courses here.