Definition

Noun: 1. A transparent bowl in which small fish are kept: A small, typically round, glass or plastic container used as an aquarium for pet fish, especially goldfish. 2. A state of affairs in which you have no privacy: A situation where a person's life is constantly observed by the public, leaving them with little to no personal privacy.

Usage Examples

• Literal Meaning:

  • The child was delighted with her new goldfish bowl and the bright orange fish inside.
  • He cleaned the goldfish bowl every week to keep the water fresh.

• Figurative Meaning:

  • As a celebrity, she felt like she was living in a goldfish bowl, with photographers following her everywhere.
  • The intense media scrutiny meant the royal family existed in a goldfish bowl.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase is often used with the prepositions "in" or "like" to describe the state of being under constant observation: , .
• It can describe environments beyond celebrity life, such as high-profile political offices, small communities, or open-plan offices where one's actions are easily seen by others.

Variants and Related Words

• Fishbowl (noun): A direct synonym for both the literal container and the figurative situation. ()
• Glass house (noun, idiomatic): Used in the idiom "people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones," implying that those who are vulnerable to criticism should not criticize others. This shares the concept of being exposed or easily seen.

Synonyms

• For the figurative meaning: Public eye, spotlight, scrutiny, exposure.
• For the literal meaning: Aquarium, fish tank, fishbowl.

Related Idioms

• To be in the public eye: To be famous and of interest to the public.
  • Politicians are constantly in the public eye.
• Under the microscope: Being observed very closely and critically.
  • The company's finances were under the microscope after the scandal.

Noun

1. a transparent bowl in which small fish are kept
2. a state of affairs in which you have no privacy
   • the president lives in a goldfish bowl