reinvent-the-wheel
/ˌriː.ɪnˈvent ðə wiːl/ IELTSAcademic
idiom
to spend time making something new that already exists in a good form. It often suggests wasted effort or poor planning.
- Don't reinvent the wheel—use the template.
- We should not reinvent the wheel here.
- The team reinvented the wheel with a simple problem.
Adinary Nuance
Use reinvent-the-wheel when someone is creating something from scratch, even though a good solution already exists. It is stronger and more critical than improve or change, because it suggests needless effort. People use it in work, study, and technology when they want a simpler existing answer.
In other languages
- Vietnamese
- làm lại từ đầu
- Spanish
- reinventar la rueda
- Chinese
- 重新发明轮子
- Japanese
- 車輪の再発明
- Korean
- 바퀴를 다시 발명하다
Etymology
This idiom uses the long-known image of the wheel, one of humanity's basic inventions. It became common in modern English as a warning against unnecessary duplication.
Common phrases
don't reinvent the wheelreinventing the wheelwithout reinventing the wheelwhy reinvent the wheel?
Synonyms
Related words
Frequently asked questions
- Is reinvent-the-wheel formal or informal?
- It is neutral and common in business, study, and technical writing.
- Is reinvent-the-wheel negative?
- Usually yes. It suggests unnecessary effort or poor use of existing work.
- What is the difference between reinvent-the-wheel and innovate?
- Innovate means create something new and useful. Reinvent-the-wheel means create something again when a good version already exists.
- How do I use reinvent-the-wheel in a sentence?
- Use it to warn someone not to build something from zero without reason.