What is the Meaning of the Expression ‘Break Out of One’s Shell’?

To break out of your shell means to be more outgoing and social; to become more friendly with people.

This expression is generally used for a shy or introverted person when he starts becoming social.

It has come from the behavior of turtles. When a turtle feels threatened or if he doesn’t want to interact with his surroundings, he hides his neck inside its shell. And whenever he feels comfortable with his environment, he comes out of his shell.

Let’s see an example —

“Daniel was reticent for the first few weeks and didn’t talk to me at all. He broke out of his shell only when he learned that I was from the same college, he was.”

It means that Daniel was shy and untalkative at first but began interacting with the author only after learning that both were from the same college.

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.