fill someone's shoes

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (General Australian):

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Verb

fill someone's shoes (third-person singular simple present fills someone's shoes, present participle filling someone's shoes, simple past and past participle filled someone's shoes)

1. (idiomatic) To do (somebody's) job; to perform or assume (somebody's) role.

   Synonym: fill someone's boots

   I don't think anyone could ever fill her shoes, doing all she does.

   • 2012, “Sex”, performed by The 1975:

     Does he take care of you? / Or could I easily fill his shoes? / But you say no, you say no

   • 2020 May 20, “Network News: A legacy of greater diversity in transport”, in Rail, page 13:

     "As I was chairing a committee that had only ever been chaired by Labour women, I was fairly conscious that I was filling some fairly big shoes left behind by Louise and Gwyneth.

Translations

to do someone's job, assume somebody's role

• Finnish: täyttää jonkun paikka, astua jonkun saappaisiin

See also

• put oneself in someone's shoes