Cast Pearls Before Swine
“Cast pearls before swine” describes offering something valuable or worthwhile to a person or audience that does not recognize or appreciate its value. The phrase can sound judgmental when applied directly to people.
It means offering something valuable to someone who does not appreciate its worth.
Key details
Further guidance
History Boundary
The modern meaning is published without claiming an exact inventor, coinage date, or absolute first use.
Meaning
The idiom refers to offering something valuable, good, or worthwhile to someone who does not appreciate its value.
Usage Boundary
Because the expression can sound contemptuous toward the person being described, use it carefully in direct interpersonal or professional contexts.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- cast pearls before swine — Cambridge Dictionary (opens in a new tab)Cambridge Dictionary · Current meaning of cast pearls before swine