Skeleton in the closet Meaning in English
expression
SKEL-uh-tuhn in thuh KLAH-zut
SKEL-ih-tuhn in thuh KLOZ-it
Definition
A secret from someone's past that is embarrassing or could cause problems if revealed.
Usage & Nuances
'Skeleton in the closet' is informal and often refers to secrets that are shameful or best kept private. Commonly used when talking about personal or family history. Sometimes also seen as 'skeleton in the cupboard' in UK English.
Spanish: secreto oscuro - esqueleto en el armarioPortuguese (BR): segredo do passado - esqueleto no armárioPortuguese (PT): segredo do passado - esqueleto no armárioChinese (Simplified): 不可告人的秘密 - 隐藏的丑事Chinese (Traditional): 不可告人的祕密 - 隱藏的醜事Hindi: छुपा हुआ रहस्य - शर्मनाक भेदArabic: سر دفين - سر مخفي محرجBengali: গোপন লজ্জাজনক ঘটনা - অতীতের অস্বাভাবিক ঘটনাRussian: скелет в шкафу - тёмное прошлоеJapanese: 隠された過去 - 隠し事Vietnamese: bí mật động trời - bí mật đáng xấu hổKorean: 비밀 - 숨겨진 과거Turkish: büyük sır - gizli ayıpUrdu: چھپی ہوئی شرمندگی - رازIndonesian: rahasia memalukan - aib tersembunyi
Example Sentences
Everyone has a skeleton in the closet.
basic
She has a skeleton in the closet from her college days.
basic
The politician tried to hide his skeleton in the closet.
basic
Turns out, the company had a pretty big skeleton in the closet.
natural
You never know what skeletons in the closet someone might have.
natural
When the story broke, a lot of old skeletons in the closet came out.
natural