English [ edit ] Pronunciation [ edit ] rest on one's laurels third-person singular simple present rests on one's laurels present participle resting on one's laurels simple past and past participle rested on one's laurels
( idiomatic ) rely success improve 2020 December 16, Daniel Puddicombe, “Treated DMUs become cleaner and greener”, in Rail , page 47 :"Rail has a good basis for promoting green travel options, but we can't rest on our laurels . We need to keep on moving forwards because other modes are upping their games as well," says Brennan-Brown.
2024 January 7, Gary Rose, “Manchester City 5-0 Huddersfield Town”, in BBC Sport [1] Manchester City won an incredible five trophies last year but the most successful sides rarely rest on their laurels and they will be determined to enjoy success again this year.
Translations [ edit ] rely on a past success instead of trying to improve oneself further
Armenian: դափնիների վրա հանգչել ( dapʿnineri vra hangčʿel )
Belarusian: спачыва́ць на ла́ўрах impf ( spačyvácʹ na láŭrax )
Catalan: adormir-se sobre els llorers aturar-se sobre els llorers estacionar-se sobre els llorers estancar-se sobre els llorers
Chinese:
Cantonese: 食老本
Mandarin: 安於 現狀 ，不思 進取 ／ 安于 现状 ，不思 进取 ( ānyú xiànzhuàng, bùsī jìnqǔ )
Czech: usnout na vavřínech (cs)
Danish: hvile på sine laurbær
Dutch: op zijn lauweren rusten
Faroese: njóta framd avrik
Finnish: levätä laakereillaan
French: se reposer sur ses lauriers (fr) , s’endormir sur ses lauriers (fr) , s’endormir dans les délices de Capoue s’endormir sur le rôti (fr)
German: sich auf seinen Lorbeeren ausruhen (de)
Greek: επαναπαύομαι στις δάφνες μου ( epanapávomai stis dáfnes mou ) , αναπαύομαι στις δάφνες μου ( anapávomai stis dáfnes mou )
Hebrew: נח על זרי הדפנה ( nakh al zeréi hadafná )
Hungarian: ül a babérjain (hu)
Italian: riposare sugli allori dormire sugli allori adagiarsi sugli allori sedersi sugli allori
Japanese: 胡坐をかく ( あぐらをかく, agura o kaku ) , 胡座をかく ( あぐらをかく, agura o kaku )
Latvian: atdusēties uz lauriem
Lithuanian: užmigti ant laurų ilsėtis ant laurų
Norwegian:
Bokmål: hvile på sine laurbær
Polish: spoczywać na laurach impf spocząć na laurach pf
Portuguese: dormir sobre os louros dormir sobre os louros colhidos dormir à sombra dos louros adormecer sobre os louros
Romanian: a se culca pe-o ureche a se culca pe urechea aceea
Russian: почива́ть на ла́врах (ru) impf ( počivátʹ na lávrax ) , останови́ться на дости́гнутом pf ( ostanovítʹsja na dostígnutom )
Serbo-Croatian:
Cyrillic: спа́вати на лово̀рикама
Roman: spávati na lovòrikama
Slovene: počivati na lovorikah
Sorbian:
Upper Sorbian: (please verify ) na swojej sławje wotpočować
Spanish: dormirse en los laureles (es) , dormir en los laureles
Swedish: vila på sina lagrar (sv) , vila på lagrarna (sv)
Ukrainian: спочива́ти на ла́врах impf ( spočyváty na lávrax )