Phrase guide

pinch of salt

noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

noun

Meaning 1

A small amount of salt.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

Caution, doubt, consideration.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: figuratively

Examples

  • Take anything he tells you with a pinch of salt: he's an inveterate liar and mixes truth with his fiction liberally.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

31 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: špetka soli — small amount of salt
  • Dutch: snufje zout — small amount of salt
  • Finnish: ripaus suolaa — small amount of salt
  • Finnish: suolaripaus — small amount of salt
  • French: pincée de sel — small amount of salt
  • German: Prise Salz — small amount of salt
  • Hungarian: egy csipetnyi só — small amount of salt
  • Irish: gráinnín salainn — small amount of salt
  • Irish: pinsín salainn — small amount of salt
  • Italian: pizzico di sale — small amount of salt
  • Norwegian Bokmål: klype m or f salt — small amount of salt
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: klype f salt — small amount of salt
  • Russian: щепо́тка со́ли (ščepótka sóli) — small amount of salt
  • Serbo-Croatian: zȑno soli — small amount of salt
  • Spanish: una pizca de sal — small amount of salt
  • Ukrainian: щі́пка со́лі (ščípka sóli) — small amount of salt
  • Czech: s rezervou — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Dutch: korreltje zout — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Finnish: varauksella — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • French: pincettes — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Hungarian: fenntartás — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Icelandic: með fyrirvara — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Italian: con le pinze — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Italian: cautela — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Italian: dubbio — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Norwegian Bokmål: klype salt — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: klype salt — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Russian: осторо́жность (ostoróžnostʹ) — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Russian: предосторо́жность (predostoróžnostʹ) — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Serbo-Croatian: zȑno soli — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)
  • Swedish: nypa salt — caution (as in take with a pinch of salt)