take it with a grain of salt

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

To treat something as not fully reliable or true.

Why this phrase?

From the old idea that a pinch of salt made dubious claims easier to swallow.

Example

“He exaggerates, so take his story with a grain of salt.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

leap of faith Neutral · CEFR B1

an act of trusting or committing without evidence or guarantees

test the waters Neutral · CEFR B1

to try something cautiously before committing fully to it

think twice Neutral · CEFR B1

to reconsider an action carefully before doing it

when pigs fly Informal · CEFR B1

Used to say that something will never happen.

curiosity killed the cat Neutral · CEFR B2

asking too many questions can lead to trouble

for good measure Neutral · CEFR B2

as an extra addition beyond what is strictly necessary

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.

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