#GuessTheIDIOM Definition: The idiom 'not see the wood for | BM | IELTS 9.0

#GuessTheIDIOM

Definition:

The idiom "not see the wood for the trees" refers to an inability to grasp the big picture due to overemphasis on details. It means being so involved or concerned with the specifics or intricacies that one fails to understand the overall situation or broader context.

Example sentence 1

While John was so focused on perfecting each slide of his presentation, he didn't see the wood for the trees and missed the main goal of the project.

Example sentence 2

Not seeing the wood for the trees is one of biggest mistakes some IELTS candidates make by focusing too much on minor details and ignoring the general trend.


P.S. In American English, it is more common to use forest instead of wood:

“Not see the forest for the trees”, but the meaning is the same.