Phrase guide

salt of the earth

noun · 1 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 person or group of people considered to represent the most decent and admirable parts of humanity.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • People who are firm but fair, and fair but firm, are the salt of the earth.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: scum of the earth

History

Etymology

Calque of Ancient Greek τὸ ἅλας τῆς γῆς (tò hálas tês gês) in the Book of Matthew, chapter 5, verse 13.

Across languages

Translations

25 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: ملح الأرض — a decent, dependable person
  • Old Armenian: աղ երկրի (ał erkri) — a decent, dependable person
  • Catalan: sal de la terra — a decent, dependable person
  • Chinese Mandarin: 好人 (hǎorén) — a decent, dependable person
  • Finnish: kunnon ihminen — a decent, dependable person
  • Finnish: maan suola — a decent, dependable person
  • French: sel de la Terre — a decent, dependable person
  • German: Salz der Erde — a decent, dependable person
  • Hebrew: מלח הארץ — a decent, dependable person
  • Italian: sale della terra — a decent, dependable person
  • Japanese: 地の塩 — a decent, dependable person
  • Korean: 세상의 소금 (sesang'ui sogeum) — a decent, dependable person
  • Latin: sal terrae — a decent, dependable person
  • Old English: eorþan sealt — a decent, dependable person
  • Polish: sól ziemi — a decent, dependable person
  • Portuguese: sal da terra — a decent, dependable person
  • Romanian: sarea pământului — a decent, dependable person
  • Russian: соль земли́ (solʹ zemlí) — a decent, dependable person
  • Spanish: sal de la tierra — a decent, dependable person
  • Swedish: Jordens salt — a decent, dependable person
  • Thai: เกลือแห่งโลก (glʉʉa-hɛ̀ng-lôok) — a decent, dependable person
  • Thai: เกลือแห่งแผ่นดินโลก (glʉʉa-hɛ̀ng-pɛ̀n-din-lôok) — a decent, dependable person
  • Thai: คนดี (kon-dii) — a decent, dependable person
  • Ottoman Turkish: ملح (milh) — a decent, dependable person
  • Welsh: halen y ddaear — a decent, dependable person