1. Home
2. Idioms
3. perfect

perfect

---

---

inch-perfect

Extremely accurate; very well placed or perfectly judged. (Used especially of maneuvers, moves, or shots in sport.) Primarily heard in UK. With only a few seconds left, the striker managed an inch-perfect goal from midfield.

let (the) perfect be the enemy of (the) good

To allow the demand, desire, or insistence for perfection decrease the chances of obtaining a good or favorable result in the end. (Usually used in the negative as an imperative.) I know you want your research paper to be great, but don't let perfect be the enemy of good, or you won't even finish it in time! As a manager, you have to realize both the potential and the limits of your employees, so be sure not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.

See also: enemy, good, let, of, perfect

perfect storm

A chance or rare combination of individual elements, circumstances, or events that together form a disastrous, catastrophic, or extremely unpleasant problem or difficulty. The incumbent mayor's re-election campaign is getting underway amidst a perfect storm of allegations and news stories about corruption, tax evasion, and racketeering within the city's government. The oil crisis has set off a perfect storm in the Middle East, where foreign leaders have depended on its economic stability to keep their warring countries from absolute chaos and anarchy.

See also: perfect, storm

pitch-perfect

Reaching or conveying the exactly right note or tone. The phrase refers to music but it is often applied to writing and other things. After her pitch-perfect rendition, I definitely think we should ask Meredith to join the choir. This is a pitch-perfect parody of Hemingway's writing style, don't you think?

perfect stranger

 and total stranger

Fig. a person who is completely unknown [to oneself]. I was stopped on the street by a perfect stranger who wanted to know my name. If a total stranger asked me such a personal question, I am sure I would not answer!

See also: perfect, stranger

picture perfect

Fig. looking exactly correct or right. (Hyphenated as a modifier.) At last, everything was picture perfect. Nothing less than a picture-perfect party table will do.

See also: perfect, picture

Practice makes perfect.

Prov. Cliché Doing something over and over again is the only way to learn to do it well. Jill: I'm not going to try to play the piano anymore. I always make so many mistakes. Jane: Don't give up. Practice makes perfect. Child: How come you're so good at peeling potatoes? Father: I did it a lot in the army, and practice makes perfect.

See also: make, perfect, practice

picture-perfect

  (American)

perfect in appearance or quality He built a dream house in a picture-perfect neighborhood. Cloudless sky, brilliant sunshine - the weather was picture-perfect.

Practice makes perfect.

something that you say which means if you do something many times you will learn to do it very well You can't expect to become a brilliant dancer overnight, but practice makes perfect.

See also: make, perfect, practice

practice makes perfect

Frequently doing something makes one better at doing it, as in I've knit at least a hundred sweaters, but in my case practice hasn't made perfect. This proverbial expression was once put as Use makes mastery, but by 1560 the present form had become established.

See also: make, perfect, practice