the grass is always greener

the grass is always greener (on the other side)

proverb Other people's circumstances or belongings always seem more desirable than one's own. A: "It just seems like they have this perfect life, always traveling and spending time together." B: "Hey, the grass is always greener. I'm sure they have their own problems that no one else can see." The grass is always greener on the other side—the sooner you realize that and stop comparing your life to others', the happier you'll be!
See also: always, grass, greener, other
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

The grass is always greener on the other side (of the fence).

Prov. People always think they would be happier in a different set of circumstances. (Usually implies that the other circumstances really are not any better.) Jill: My job is so tedious. I wish I had my own business, like Beatrice does. Jane: Beatrice probably wishes she had the security of her old job. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
See also: always, grass, greener, on, other, side
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

the grass is always greener

or

the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence

If you say the grass is always greener or the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence, you mean that other people often seem to be in a better situation than you, but in reality their situation may not be as good as it seems. You know what it's like — the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. I'm always looking at jobs advertised online and thinking I'd be better off somewhere else. Note: Grass and greener are often used in other expressions with a similar meaning. A lot of players who have left in the past have found that the grass isn't always greener elsewhere. I cannot have my staff believing that the grass is always greener in another company.
See also: always, grass, greener
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed.

the grass is always greener

other people's lives or situations always seem better than your own.
This is a shortened form of the proverb ‘the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence’, usually used as a caution against dissatisfaction with your own lot in life. There are a number of sayings about the attractions of something distant or inaccessible, for example blue are the faraway hills .
See also: always, grass, greener
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary

grass is always greener (on the other side of the fence), the

What one doesn’t have always looks more appealing than what one has. A proverb first cited in Erasmus’s Adagia (1545), this maxim remains true and the phrase remains current.
See also: always, grass, greener, of, other, side
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer
See also:
  • grass is always greener on the other side, the
  • the grass is always greener (on the other side)
  • The grass is always greener on the other side
  • the grass is greener on the other side
  • the first step is always the hardest
  • first step is always the hardest
  • a bad penny always turns up
  • bad penny always turns up
  • bully
  • coward
References in periodicals archive
"The grass is always greener on the other side" they say but hopefully after having Bill hard on their heels it will have nipped that idea in the bud.
Rain drops us in at the deep end; THE YORKSHIRE SHEPHERDESS
They always feel that "the grass is always greener on the other side." This is because they are too far away from it and the prospects that fire their imagination seems like greener grass.
There's no such thing as a dream job
THEY say the grass is always greener on the other side - and if you live in Great Barr, it literally is!
Turf wars as playing fields fall between rival councils; ROW LEAVES DIVIDING LINE DOWN MIDDLE OF THE REC
The grass is always greener The grass will soon grow over the top of these drainage holes, leaving them invisible, but they will help any water that collects on the surface of the lawn to sink quickly away, which should solve some of your waterlogging problems.
How to... Aerate a compacted garden; Gardening
'The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence', but at least I have shorts to keep my knees cold, and my blanket to remind me how much I love winter.
Offbeat
"You can use that cliche the grass is always greener here, probably, and not at another place," Jol said.
Players better off at Fulham than moving
Farmer Ewan, 75, of Oban, said the sheep are tempted on to cliff ledges by fresh grass and added: "The grass is always greener there because it has never been touched since last year.
EWE HERO; Rescuer abseils 70ft down cliff to free two trapped pregnant sheep
Be careful what you wish for The grass is always greener on the other side and there are always things that will make our lives better - be they riches, an eternal childhood or legs.
5 THINGS I LEARNED FROM WATCHING DISNEY FILMS
Gibiliru added: "Aaron realised the grass is always greener on the other side.
Cables looking for next year's spark
Remember, the grass is always greener where it's watered!
Dear MIRIAM: Tempted by a yummy mum; LETTER OF THE DAY
The old maxim that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence doesn't always ring true for footballers.
Age-old problem withseeking pastures new
For so many people the grass is always greener on the other side.
Football: Anelka must realise grass is not always greener on the other side; VIEW FROM THE SOFA
Sibling rivalry is often like this: Rose got the brains, Maggie got the beauty, and the grass is always greener on the other side.
In Her Shoes
Although Erma Bombeck was just free years younger than Kerr, her career peaked, in the 70s with such dismally titled bestsellers as The Grass is Always Greener over the Septic Tank; If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What Am I Doing in the Pits?; I Lost-Everything in the Post-Natal Depression.
Giving mirth: for todays women writers, balancing work and family is agony. For Jean Kerr, it was an art form
THIS book is a reminder that the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
books: Heroine plays unhappy families