The grass is always greener on the other side

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
See also:
  • grass is always greener on the other side, the
  • the grass is always greener
  • 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 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 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
A PLACE IN THE SUN: HOME OR AWAY Channel 4, 8pm The old saying goes that "the grass is always greener on the other side", but the decision to up sticks from Blighty and move abroad and start afresh is one that shouldn't be taken lightly.
FRIDAY
One band, Drastic Harmonic, made-up of pupils from George Stephenson High School, in Killingworth, North Tyneside, have already submitted their song, The Grass is Always Greener on the Other Side. The closing dates for entries is Sunday, July 5.
Hoping musicians take note
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
THE grass is always greener on the other side, they reckon - unless you live next door to Wembley Stadium, in which case the grass is a pile of rubble and cement.
KISS SO TEMPTING; bacon on films LAST KISS DRAMA Cert: 15 ****
For so many people the grass is always greener on the other side. That is a saying that really rings true.
Football: Anelka must realise grass is not always greener on the other side; VIEW FROM THE SOFA
The old adage "the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" commonly applies in hunting.
The greener side: why covet the whitetails on your neighbor's side of the fence? Instead, pull them to your side
Sibling rivalry is often like this: Rose got the brains, Maggie got the beauty, and the grass is always greener on the other side. The death of their mother when the girls were young magnified those rivalries to epic standards.
In Her Shoes
It is a sad fact that if you are B&Q's top gnome, the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.
Stotty on Sunday: GNOME TRUTHS