grain of truth

grain of truth

A little bit of truth. Often used to refer to a small amount of insight or truth in something otherwise false or nonsensical. The only reason why Dave's joke about my love life bothered me so much is because there was a grain of truth to it. I know she said she was joking about being depressed, but I'm concerned—there's a grain of truth in every joke. A: "Isn't there a grain of truth in every criticism, though?" B: "Not when said criticism is coming from strangers on the Internet!"

See also: grain, of, truth

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

(a) grain of truth

even the smallest amount of truth. The attorney was unable to find a grain of truth in the defendant's testimony. If there were a grain of truth to your statement, I would trust you.

See also: grain, of, truth

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.