turn the other cheek
(redirected from you turn the other cheek)turn the other cheek
To accept mistreatment without retaliating or seeking revenge. The phrase originates from Jesus's instruction to his followers in the Bible. Yes, he was very rude to me, but I know he's not well, so I turned the other cheek.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
turn the other cheek
Fig. to ignore abuse or an insult. When Bob got mad at Mary and yelled at her, she just turned the other cheek. Usually I turn the other cheek when someone is rude to me.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
turn the other cheek
Respond meekly or mildly to insult or injury without retaliating. For example, There's no point in arguing with that unreasonable supervisor; just turn the other cheek . This expression comes from the New Testament, in which Jesus tells his followers to love their enemies and offer their other cheek to those who have struck one cheek (Luke 6:29).
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.
turn the other cheek
COMMON If you turn the other cheek when someone harms or insults you, you do not take action against them in return. Ian must learn to turn the other cheek, no matter what the provocation. If they refuse to deal with these racists, we will take matters into our own hands. The days of turning the other cheek are long over. Note: This expression comes from Jesus's words to His followers in the Bible: `Resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.' (Matthew 5:39)
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
turn the other cheek
refrain from retaliating when you have been attacked or insulted.This expression comes from Matthew 5:39: ‘But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also’.
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
turn the other ˈcheek
make a deliberate decision to remain calm and not to act in an aggressive way when somebody has hurt you or made you angry: It’s hard to just turn the other cheek when people are criticizing you unfairly.This is a phrase used by Jesus in the Bible.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
turn the other cheek, to
To respond meekly to insults, provocation, or oppression. The term comes from the Bible, where Jesus exhorts his followers, “Unto him that smiteth thee on the one cheek offer also the other” (Luke 6:29). Although the term persists to the present, over the centuries it has given rise to heated arguments concerning the wisdom of such behavior. “Turning the other cheek is a kind of moral jiu-jitsu,” wrote Gerald S. Lee in Crowds (1913), but some psychologists believe it simply encourages the aggressor and heightens hostilities.
The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer