against the grain

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR C1

Post

Example

“Ship it even though it goes against the grain of our testing-first culture.”

Dictionary details

Alternate forms

go against the grain

Component words

grain

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

hang by a thread Neutral · CEFR B2

to remain so precarious that collapse or failure could happen at any moment

play with fire Neutral · CEFR B2

to take a serious risk that is likely to bring harmful consequences

up against it Neutral · CEFR B2

Facing severe difficulties, pressure, or obstacles.

can of worms Informal · CEFR B1

a complicated problem that causes trouble the moment it is touched

domino effect Neutral · CEFR B1

a chain reaction in which one event triggers a series of similar events

easier said than done Neutral · CEFR B1

Something that sounds simple to do but is actually hard.

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

markdown