Phrases coined by Shakespeare – Hamlet

Phrases coined by Shakespeare in Hamle A list of the phrases and sayings that first saw the light of day, or were made popular by, Shakespeare’s play Hamlet:

A countenance more in sorrow than in anger

A ministering angel shall my sister be

Alas, poor Yorick! I knew him, Horatio

Brevity is the soul of wit

Frailty, thy name is woman

His beard was as white as snow

Hoist by your own petard

In my mind’s eye

Make your hair stand on end

More honoured in the breach than in the observance

Neither a borrower nor a lender be

Primrose path

Shuffle off this mortal coil

Something is rotten in the state of Denmark

The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune

There’s method in my madness

To be or not to be, that is the question

To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s the rub

What a piece of work is man

When sorrows come, they come not single spies, but in battalions

Woe is me

Browse more Phrases

About the Author

Gary Martin

Writer and researcher on the origins of phrases and the creator of the Phrase Finder website. Over the past 26 years more than 700 million of his pages have been downloaded by readers. He is one of the most popular and trusted sources of information on phrases and idioms.

Phrases & Meanings

A-Z

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T UV W XYZ

How did we do?

Have you spotted something that needs updated on this page? We review all feedback we receive to ensure that we provide the most accurate and up to date information on phrases.

Suggest a new meaning

Phrases coined by Shakespeare – Hamlet