fishbowl

IPA/ˈfɪʃbəʊl/
KK[fˈɪʃbˌol]IPA/ˈfɪʃbəʊl/

fishbowl — noun

  • fishbowlsingular
  • fishbowlsplural

1. a round, see-through container, often made of glass, where someone keeps small p

1.nounB2
Definition

a round, see-through container, often made of glass, where someone keeps small pet fish at home.

Example

Tanvi placed a tiny plastic castle inside her goldfish's fishbowl.

typical possessive: someone's fishbowl

The pet shop near the train station sold round glass fishbowls in three sizes.

plural countable: fishbowls in [sizes]

Common collocations
  • clean the fishbowl
  • round fishbowl
  • glass fishbowl
  • small fishbowl
Synonyms
  • goldfish bowl

    more specific — implies the fish is a goldfish

  • fish tank

    usually rectangular and larger; holds more water and equipment

Usage Note

Subject is usually a small ornamental fish (goldfish, betta); larger tropical fish require a rectangular tank instead.

Common Mistakes

I keep my pet turtle in a fishbowl.
I keep my pet goldfish in a fishbowl.
a fishbowl is specifically for small fish, not other animals.

2. a setting where the people around you watch your every move, leaving you almost

2.nounC1
Definition

a setting where the people around you watch your every move, leaving you almost no privacy in daily life.

Example

Pop singer Ayana said growing up famous felt like living in a fishbowl with no curtains.

idiomatic: living in a fishbowl

Working in the open-plan office felt like a fishbowl, with managers watching every email Lauren sent.

collocation: feel like a fishbowl

Common collocations
  • live in a fishbowl
  • feel like a fishbowl
  • fishbowl atmosphere
  • fishbowl existence
Synonyms
  • spotlight

    emphasises public attention more than constant observation

  • glass house

    similar idea of being watched, but stronger sense of vulnerability to criticism

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

live in a fishbowl

feel like a fishbowl

Usage Note

Often used with 'live in a' or 'feel like a'; distinguish from sense 1 by context — sense 2 always describes a social condition, never a physical container.

Common Mistakes

The actor lives inside a fishbowl.
The actor lives in a fishbowl.
use 'in a', not 'inside a', for the figurative meaning.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A fishbowl is the simplest container — round, glass, no equipment — and almost always sits on a shelf or table at home holding one or two small ornamental fish. A fish tank is larger and usually rectangular; it can include a filter, heater, and lights, so it suits tropical species that need stable conditions. An aquarium is the broadest term: it can refer to a fish tank in someone's living room, but it more often names a large public building where many species are displayed for visitors. Choose fishbowl for a casual home setup with a goldfish; choose fish tank for any serious home aquarium with equipment; choose aquarium for the public venue or for the whole hobby in formal writing.

fishbowl ↗fish tankaquarium ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • fishbowl atmosphere
  • fishbowl existence
  • goldfish bowl

Phrases

  • live in a fishbowl
  • clean the fishbowl

Prepositions

  • in a fishbowl
  • inside a fishbowl

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

A compound of 'fish' and 'bowl', first recorded in English in the mid-1800s as the round glass container for goldfish became a popular Victorian household ornament. The figurative meaning — a life with no privacy — grew in the 20th century from the obvious image of fish being watched from every angle through transparent glass.