square peg in a round hole
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
square peg in a round hole
- /skwɛə ˌpɛɡ ɪn‿ə ɹaʊnd ˈhəʊl/ UK
- /skwɛː-/ UK
- /skwɛəɹ ˌpɛɡ ɪn‿ə ɹaʊnd ˈhoʊl/ US
Rhymes with -əʊl
Where it comes from
Commonly associated with a shape sorter, a baby toy that consists of (often wooden) pegs that need to be inserted through holes in a box, using the hole that has the same shape as the peg. While all the shapes are of roughly equal size, each peg will only fit in the hole that has the same shape. Inserting a peg in a different hole would require either modifying or breaking the toy.
noun square pegs in round holes
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Someone or something that does not fit well or at all in a certain setting; a misfit; hence, someone or something that will not succeed in an endeavour, except possibly with much effort and force.
["]Now, your son's case is really your case—you see it through the medium of your likings and dislikings—and insist upon forcing a square peg into a round hole, because in a round hole you, being a round peg, feel tight and comfortable. Now I call that irrational." / "I don't see why my son has any
Similar: like a fish out of water
Translations
Every language
noun someone or something that does not fit well or at all in a certain setting
| Tiếng Việt | râu ông nọ cắm cằm bà kia |
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Talk about this word "square peg in a round hole." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/square%20peg%20in%20a%20round%20hole. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. square peg in a round hole. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/square%20peg%20in%20a%20round%20hole "square peg in a round hole." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/square%20peg%20in%20a%20round%20hole.Cite this
@misc{square_peg_in_a_round_hole_2026,
title = {square peg in a round hole},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/square%20peg%20in%20a%20round%20hole},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
