Wash hands of

Meaning

The idiom "wash hands of" means to renounce, abandon or let go of something. It can also mean to disown or disclaim a relationship or situation that one finds distasteful or undesirable.

Usage

• After years of being involved with the company, John decided to wash his hands of it and start his own business.
• Sarah couldn't stomach her sister's political views anymore and washed her hands of their relationship.
• The government was under pressure to wash its hands of the scandal and take action.
• I have washed my hands of all the drama and negativity in my life and am focusing on positive things.
• After years of being a loyal employee, Sarah realized that she didn't align with the company's values and decided to wash her hands of it.

Roots and History

The idiom "wash one's hands of" is believed to have originated from the practice of washing one's hands after coming into contact with something unpleasant or unclean. The phrase gradually evolved to mean renouncing or abandoning a situation, likely due to its negative associations.

Synonyms in English

• Disown
• Abandon
• renounce
• reject
• let go of

Synonyms in other languages

• 弃洗 (Chinese)
• reject (French)
• 放弃 (Mandarin Chinese)
• 辞退 (Japanese)
• 버린다 (Korean)

Similar Idioms

• waiting time

• where there’s a will, there’s a way

• wrap one’s head around