English idiom

take for granted

Register · Neutral CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

to fail to appreciate something or assume it will always be there

Why this phrase?

Here 'granted' means accepted as true or assured; taking something that way can make you stop noticing its value.

Example

“We often take clean water for granted until there's a shortage.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

make someone's day

to make someone very happy

wake-up call

an event that forces you to realize a problem you were ignoring

jump to conclusions

to form an opinion too quickly, before considering enough evidence

turn a blind eye

To deliberately ignore something you know is wrong.

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.

External links

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