“What's this world coming to?”

English Lesson: What's this world coming to?

You see a commercial for a TV show that looks really dumb. You're disgusted that the network would allow such a dumb show and that people would watch it. You say this to yourself.

What's this world coming to?

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What's this world coming to?

This expression means "What is going to happen to the world?" It expresses your disapproval of something. Use it when you notice a negative trend in society.

For example, you can ask "What's this world coming to?" if you hear about:

  • horrible news stories
  • children behaving much worse than they did when you were younger
  • rising prices
  • movies that are very sexual, violent, or dumb

"What's this world coming to?" is a rhetorical question, which means that you don't expect anyone to answer it.