goldfish bowl

noun

: a place or situation offering no privacy

Examples of goldfish bowl in a Sentence

celebrities who cannot escape from the goldfish bowl of constant publicity
Recent Examples on the Web Contrary to science fiction movies, a spacewalk isn't just a matter of slapping on a pair of silver coveralls and a goldfish bowl. David Szondy, New Atlas, 12 Sep. 2024 Today’s ongoing Russian invasion of Ukraine and attacks in Israel and Gaza that have destabilised energy security and trade routes, and stoked inflation, remind us how reliance on fossil fuels abandons the world to the goldfish bowl of history, forever failing to learn from our mistakes. María Mendiluce, Forbes, 13 Feb. 2024 Encased in a large goldfish bowl, the butterflies batted their wings in near-perfect cadence with the music. Elliot Ackerman, WIRED, 6 Feb. 2024 It’s been quite funny, as someone in a foot in both Sydney and Scotland, to see the innate parochiality of Australian sport, where only Aussie Rules and rugby league matter, clash with the Glasgow goldfish bowl, where only two clubs matter. Mike Meehall Wood, Forbes, 31 May 2021 Identifying strollers as a consumerist fetish object for anxious parents is undoubtedly correct, and also a bit easy, the culture-criticism equivalent of shooting a shotgun into a goldfish bowl. Peter C. Baker, The New Yorker, 25 Oct. 2022 William and Kate are seeking a life in the country away from the goldfish bowl of their official residence Kensington Palace in London in a bid to put their children first and give them more freedom. Bloomberg.com, 3 Sep. 2022 Misseri said one young girl volunteers encountered was holding her goldfish bowl. Abigail Adams, PEOPLE.com, 20 Apr. 2022 Being the local boy made good has brought more pressure to perform than even a normal Napoli player would receive (which is still a lot, given the goldfish bowl environment of the city). Emmet Gates, Forbes, 28 Dec. 2021

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'goldfish bowl.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1924, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of goldfish bowl was in 1924

Dictionary Entries Near goldfish bowl

Cite this Entry

“Goldfish bowl.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/goldfish%20bowl. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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