the moment of truth
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moment of truth
The moment or point at which some critical and decisive event, action, or test will occur. It's the moment of truth—this letter will tell me whether I got into my dream school or not. We've been working on a prototype of this device for months. Now comes the moment of truth, when we test it in a real-world environment. As we've seen, polls can be misleading, so the real moment of truth will come when the votes are tallied.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2015 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
moment of truth
Fig. the point at which someone has to face the reality of a situation. The moment of truth is here. Turn over your exam papers and begin. Now for the moment of truth when we find out whether we have got planning permission or not.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
moment of truth
A critical or decisive time, at which one is put to the ultimate test, as in Now that all the bills are in, we've come to the moment of truth-can we afford to live here or not? This expression, a translation of the Spanish el momento de la verdad, signifies the point in a bullfight when the matador makes the kill. It was first used in English in Ernest Hemingway's story Death in the Afternoon (1932).
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
the moment of truth
COMMON The moment of truth is the time when you learn the true facts of a situation or make an important decision. I got onto the bathroom scales. Now came the moment of truth. That was the moment of truth for me. I either walked through that door then or I never walked through it.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
moment of truth
a crisis; a turning point when a decision has to be made or a crisis faced.This expression is a translation of the Spanish el momento de la verdad , which refers to the final sword thrust in a bullfight.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
the ˌmoment of ˈtruth
a time when somebody/something is tested, or when important decisions are made: He asked her if she still loved him. It was a moment of truth. ♢ Right, now for the moment of truth. Switch it on and see if it works!Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
moment of truth, the
The critical instant, at which one is put to the ultimate test. The term is a translation of the Spanish el momento de la verdad, which signifies the time in a bullfight in which the matador is about to kill the bull. It was first described in English by Ernest Hemingway in his story Death in the Afternoon, and subsequently was transferred to other critical outcomes. The final calculation in making out one’s income tax return, for example, could be described as one’s moment of truth.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer
moment of truth
A crucial test. Unless a matador is injured or loses his nerve before the end of a bullfight, the climax comes when he reaches over the horns to plunge his sword behind the animal's neck. The matador is then at his most vulnerable, since the bull need only raise its head to gore the man. This “moment of truth” when a matador reveals whether he has sufficient courage is a literal translation of the Spanish phrase for that point in time. By extension, any situation in which a person is called on to show “the right stuff ” can be called the moment of truth.
Endangered Phrases by Steven D. Price Copyright © 2011 by Steven D. Price