invent
to make or design something new for the first time
to create or design something that has not existed before, such as a machine, product, method, or idea
to say or think of something that is not true or not real
to create a story, excuse, name, or detail in your imagination, especially something that is not true
- Base: invent
- Plural: invents
necessity is the mother of invention
1need makes people inventive
When people really need something, they find new and clever ways to get it or solve the problem.
- During the blackout, we cooked on a small gas stove—necessity is the mother of invention.
- When our car broke down in the desert, we used tape and rope to fix it—necessity is the mother of invention.
- He built a simple cooling system from old parts—necessity is the mother of invention.
- They built a shelter from scraps. Necessity is the mother of invention.
- During the pandemic, many businesses moved online, proving that necessity is the mother of invention.
- Many medical advances show that necessity is the mother of invention.
- He built his own heating system from old parts, saying that necessity is the mother of invention.
necessity is the mother of invention
4need produces new ideas
people often invent things because they really need a solution to a problem
- When the power went out, they cooked dinner over a camping stove—necessity is the mother of invention.
- During the crisis, small businesses found creative ways to survive; necessity is the mother of invention.
- She built the tool because nothing else worked, proving that necessity is the mother of invention.
- I made my own desk from old wood because necessity is the mother of invention.
- They created a new delivery system during the pandemic; necessity is the mother of invention.
not invented here
3resistance to outside ideas
used when a group refuses to use a good idea just because it came from outside the group
- The proposal failed partly because of a not invented here attitude in the department.
- Tech teams sometimes suffer from not invented here syndrome and rebuild tools they could simply buy.
- Management warned against rejecting the partnership for not invented here reasons.
- The company missed a good opportunity because of not invented here syndrome.
- We should avoid a not invented here attitude.
reinvent oneself
2change one's identity or image
to make big changes to your life or public image so that people see you differently
- After ten years in banking, she reinvented herself as a chef.
- The company is trying to reinvent itself for a younger audience.
- Many actors have to reinvent themselves several times during their careers.
- He moved to another city and reinvented himself.
- The brand needs to reinvent itself to survive.
reinvent the wheel
1waste effort duplicating something existing
To spend time and effort making something that other people have already made well, instead of using what is already there.
- Don’t reinvent the wheel—use last year’s plan as a starting point.
- You don’t need to reinvent the wheel—there are plenty of good templates you can download.
- They spent months reinventing the wheel instead of improving what they had.
- Before we reinvent the wheel, let’s see what tools other teams are already using.
- Teachers share lesson plans online so others don’t have to reinvent the wheel every year.
reinvent the wheel
1duplicate an existing solution
to spend time making a solution when a good solution already exists
- We don't need to reinvent the wheel; there are plenty of apps that already do this.
- Before you build your own system, check whether you're reinventing the wheel.
- The team saved months by adapting open-source software instead of reinventing the wheel.
- For this project, we should not reinvent the wheel.
- I used a template because I didn't want to reinvent the wheel.