Grain of truth Meaning in English
expression
GRAYN-uhv-TROOTH
GRAYN-ov-TROOTH
Definition
A small amount of truth within something that is mostly false or exaggerated.
Usage & Nuances
Almost always used with negative or skeptical contexts, often with 'there's a grain of truth in...' to show only a small part is true. It's a metaphor—'grain' meaning a tiny bit. Not used for things that are completely true.
Spanish: pizca de verdadPortuguese (BR): fundo de verdadePortuguese (PT): pingo de verdadeChinese (Simplified): 一丝真相 - 一点点真实Chinese (Traditional): 一絲真相 - 一點點真實Hindi: सच्चाई की झलकArabic: ذرة من الحقيقةBengali: সত্যের কণা - সত্যের অল্প অংশRussian: доля правды - крупица истиныJapanese: ほんの少しの真実 - 一粒の真実Vietnamese: một chút sự thật - phần nhỏ sự thậtKorean: 약간의 진실 - 한 톨의 진실Turkish: bir parça gerçek - gerçek payıUrdu: تھوڑا سا سچ - سچائی کا ذرہIndonesian: sedikit kebenaran - sebutir kebenaran
Example Sentences
There is a grain of truth in every rumor.
basic
His story has a grain of truth, but most of it is made up.
basic
Some myths contain a grain of truth.
basic
Her accusation had more than a grain of truth to it.
natural
People say you never actually forget anything, and there’s probably a grain of truth in that.
natural
Don’t believe everything you read online—there’s only a grain of truth in most of it.
natural