put someone out to pasture
put (someone or something) out to pasture
1. Literally, to retire an animal from working by allowing it roam in a field or pasture. This horse has been my constant companion for the last 15 years on the ranch, but now I think it's about time to put him out to pasture. You ought to put that old donkey out to pasture, don't you think?
2. By extension, to force, coerce, or pressure someone into retiring from their work. The CEO shaped the company into what it is today, but she's getting on in years and the board of directors has decided to put her out to pasture.
3. By extension to Definition 1, to retire a piece of equipment from use or replace it with something newer. I got through my entire graduate degree on this clunky old laptop, but I think it's finally time to put it out to pasture.
See also: out, pasture, put
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
put someone out to pasture
If you put someone out to pasture, you make them retire from their job, or move them to an unimportant job, usually because you think that they are too old to be useful. I'm retiring next month. They're putting me out to pasture. He should not yet be put out to pasture. His ministerial experience is valuable. Compare with be put out to grass. Note: When horses have reached the end of their working lives, they are sometimes released into fields (= pasture) to graze.
See also: out, pasture, put, someone
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.
put someone out to pasture
force someone to retire.See also: out, pasture, put, someone
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary
- put (someone or something) out to pasture
- put a horse out to pasture
- put out to pasture
- put somebody out to pasture
- literally
- put out to grass/pasture, to be
- force or an animal from
- range over
- range over (something or some place)
- (the) survival of the fittest