C1idiomtimeIELTS-friendly
a sign of the times
USUK
something that shows how society is now, often in a bad way
'Times' is plural. Often said with a sigh, but it can be neutral.
In context
Children asking for phones at age six is a sign of the times.
Bookshops closing while coffee chains open is a sad sign of the times.
More idioms about time
- a blast from the pastsomething or someone that suddenly reminds you of an earlier time
- a long time comingif something is a long time coming, people have waited a long time for it
- a matter of timecertain to happen, although you do not know exactly when
- a race against timea situation where you must hurry to finish before time runs out
- a stitch in time saves nineacting early to fix a small problem saves much more work later