Idiom
look a gift horse in the mouth
Meanings
To be ungrateful by criticizing or questioning the quality, value, or motives behind a gift or free help.
Definition
To look a gift horse in the mouth means to criticize or question a gift instead of being grateful.
If you look a gift horse in the mouth, you focus on possible faults or the value of a present rather than appreciating it. The idiom suggests it is rude or ungrateful to inspect a gift too closely. It is often used to advise someone to accept a gift or help without complaining.
Examples
- I know the tickets aren’t perfect seats, but don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
- She offered to help for free, so don’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
- It’s a second-hand laptop, but you shouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth.
- He complained about the colour of the sweater—classic look a gift horse in the mouth.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes say “look at a gift horse in the mouth” or “watch a gift horse in the mouth,” but the usual form is “look a gift horse in the mouth.”
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More idioms
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