Meaning
To view a claim or piece of information with skepticism rather than accepting it as fully true.
It’s used when the source may be exaggerating, mistaken, or have an interest in how the facts are presented.
Origin
The phrase is traditionally traced to Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia (1st century AD), which records an antidote recipe attributed to Mithridates VI, King of Pontus, reportedly designed to make him immune to poisoning; the recipe called for the addition of a grain of salt (Pliny’s actual Latin is “addito salis grano,” not the later “cum grano salis” often quoted as his exact wording). Because the antidote’s reliability was itself doubtful, taking a poison threat “with a grain of salt” came to mean treating it — and by extension, any dubious claim — with caution rather than full credence. There is also a linguistic subtlety worth noting: the Latin word “sal” means both “salt” and “wit” or “shrewdness,” a double meaning that may have reinforced the phrase’s long survival across European languages. The modern English wording is a comparatively late borrowing of this classical image, entering common use no earlier than the 17th century, well over a thousand years after Pliny.
Examples
I’d take that rumor with a grain of salt until we get official confirmation.
He took the salesman’s promises with a grain of salt.
You should take anything you read online with a grain of salt.
A: She said the trip was completely free. B: I’d take that with a grain of salt.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Take with a grain of salt' mean?
To view a claim or piece of information with skepticism rather than accepting it as fully true.
It’s used when the source may be exaggerating, mistaken, or have an interest in how the facts are presented.