in the flesh

Thân thiện

The author met her favorite poet in the flesh at the book signing.

Definition

Adjective: - Physically present; in person: Used to describe someone appearing or being somewhere in their actual physical body, not represented by a picture, recording, or another person.

Adverb: - In person; physically present: Used to describe the manner of an action being carried out by being physically there.

Usage

This phrase emphasizes direct, personal, and physical presence. It is often used to contrast with seeing someone on screen, in a photograph, or hearing about them indirectly.

Examples

• Adjective:

  • I had only seen the actor in movies, so meeting him in the flesh was thrilling.
  • The virtual meeting is useful, but some issues are best resolved in the flesh.

• Adverb:

  • The author will be signing books in the flesh at the store tomorrow.
  • To appreciate the scale of the sculpture, you need to see it in the flesh.

Advanced Usage

• The phrase can be used figuratively to emphasize the tangible, undeniable reality of something or someone.
  • The economic crisis was no longer just a news story; we were seeing its effects in the flesh.

Variants and Related Words

• In person: A more common synonym with a very similar meaning.
  • She delivered the report in person.

Synonyms

• Personally
• Physically present
• Face-to-face

Related Idioms

• In the flesh itself functions as an idiomatic expression. There are no direct phrasal verbs associated with this fixed phrase.

Học thuật

Adjective

1. an appearance carried out personally in someone else's physical presence
   • he carried out the negotiations in person
   • a personal appearance is an appearance by a person in the flesh

Từ đồng nghĩa

• in-person
• in the flesh