come to terms with (something)
to accept or learn to live with something difficult
In Spanish
aceptar, hacerse a la idea de
Examples
- It took him years to come to terms with the loss.
- After the accident, she struggled to come to terms with her new reality.
- He's finally coming to terms with his parents' divorce after many years.
When it's used
This idiom is used to describe the process of accepting a difficult or inevitable situation. It is common in both speech and writing and is used in both formal and informal contexts. It's a well-known and frequently used expression among native speakers.
The common mistake
A common mistake is using the phrase 'come to terms about' instead of 'with.' English speakers use 'with' to indicate the specific situation being accepted, and changing the preposition alters the meaning.