phrasal verb · informal
get one's feet wet
/ɡet wʌnz fiːt ˈwɛt/get one's FEET wet
to try something for the first time in order to gain initial experience
Examples
“I wanted to get my feet wet in teaching, so I volunteered for a summer class.”
“To get your feet wet in research, you could assist a professor for a semester.”
“Don’t be afraid to get your feet wet — internships are for beginners.”
Band 8 sentence
“I decided to get my feet wet in academic research by helping on a small project, which really helped me decide on a PhD.”
Collocations
- get one's feet wet in + field
- get one's feet wet by + V-ing
Word family
Common mistakes
I want to get wet my feet in teaching.→I want to get my feet wet in teaching.
I will get my feet wet for teaching.→I will get my feet wet in teaching.
Say it for a higher band
5try (start)→6have a go→7+get one's feet wet
Synonyms
have a go
dip one's toes in (the water)
Easily confused
dip one's toes in the water
“Before committing to a year abroad, she decided to dip her toes in the water with a three‑month exchange.”
Related words
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In get …
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