English Idiom – Eat your words (or swallow your words).
To admit that something you said was wrong. If somebody has to eat their words, they must take back an earlier statement or prediction – often in an embarrassing way.
The idiom suggests the humiliation of being proven wrong in public. It’s very common in sport and politics, where people make confident predictions that don’t come true. A common pattern is make someone eat their words – to prove them wrong.
If somebody tells you to put your money where your mouth is (idiom), they’re telling you to back up your words with action.
Usage:
- A colleague makes an accusation that turns out to be unfounded.
- You make a prediction about a big sporting event that turns out to be wrong.
- You make a statement that is later proven to be false.
Example:
- “My teacher told me I would fail all my final tests. I’m going to cram and make him eat his words!”
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Look it upEat one’s wordsWiktionaryWhat is an idiom?
An idiom is a word or phrase that is not taken literally. An idiom is an expression that cannot be understood from the meanings of its individual words, but has a separate meaning of its own.
Frequently Asked Questions
To admit that something you said, especially a confident prediction, was wrong.
To prove someone wrong, so that they have to take back what they said.
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