true
adjective OPAL S
/truː/
/truː/
(comparative truer, superlative truest)
Word Family
Idioms - true adjective (≠ untrue)
- truth noun
- truthful adjective (≠ untruthful)
- truthfully adverb
- truly adverb
- connected with facts rather than things that have been invented or guessed
- Indicate whether the following statements are true or false.
- Can you prove that what you say is true?
- All the rumours turned out to be true.
- be true (that)… Is it true she's leaving?
- It is certainly true that money can't buy you happiness.
- I think it would be true to say that the show was a success.
- That's not strictly (= completely) true.
- The novel is based on a true story.
- true for somebody/something Unfortunately, these findings do not hold true (= are not valid) for women and children.
- Exercise can help in the development of social skills, and this is especially true for kids playing team sports.
- true of somebody/something The music is dull and uninspiring, and the same is true of the acting.
- You never spoke a truer word (= used to emphasize that you agree with what somebody has just said).
Synonyms truetrue- right
- correct
- true connected with facts rather than things that have been invented or guessed:
- Are the following statements true or false?
- Is it true (that) she’s leaving?
- right that is true and cannot be doubted as a fact:
- I got about half the answers right.
- What’s the right time?
- correct right according to the facts and without any mistakes:
- Only one of the answers is correct.
- Check that all the details are correct.
- right/correct about somebody/something
- the true/right/correct answer
- the right/correct time
Extra ExamplesTopics Doubt, guessing and certaintya1- It is literally true that I never heard of him until I was in my late twenties.
- That is undoubtedly true.
- The story is more or less true.
- It's hardly true to call cleaning windows a ‘profession’.
- This degree of inequality was by no means true of all 19th-century marriages.
- This is in fact true in most situations.
- We hope that this will prove true.
- What applies at a local level holds doubly true at a national level.
- What is true for buyers is equally true for sellers.
- While technically true, this is unfair.
- While this is certainly true for some, it is not the case for others.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- ring
- seem
- …
- especially
- particularly
- very
- …
- real or exact, especially when this is different from how something seems
- the true face of war (= what it is really like rather than what people think it is like)
- This project demonstrates the true value of teamwork.
- The true cost of these experiments to the environment will not be known for years to come.
- He reveals his true character to very few people.
- I did not realize the true nature of their relationship.
- She was unable to hide her true feelings for him.
Extra Examples- the true face of socialism
- She is not the true owner of this house.
- [usually before noun] having the qualities or characteristics of the thing mentioned
- It was true love between them.
- He's a true gentleman.
- The painting is a masterpiece in the truest sense of the word.
- He is credited with inventing the first true helicopter.
- used to admit that a particular fact or statement is correct, although you think that something else is more important
- true (that)… It's true that he could do the job, but would he fit in with the rest of the team?
- It's perfectly true that I didn't help much, but I was busy.
- ‘We could get it cheaper.’ ‘True, but would it be as good?’
- True enough, but that doesn't tell the whole story.
Language Bank neverthelessneverthelessConceding a point and making a counterargumentTopics Opinion and argumenta2- While the film is undoubtedly too long, it is nevertheless an intriguing piece of cinema.
- It can be argued that the movie is too long. It is nonetheless an intriguing piece of cinema.
- The film is undoubtedly too long. Still, it is an intriguing piece of cinema.
- Of course, huge chunks of the book have been sacrificed in order to make a two-hour movie, but it is nevertheless a successful piece of storytelling.
- Critics are wrong to argue that the film’s plot is too complicated. Certainly there are a couple of major twists, but audiences will have no difficulty following them.
- It is true that you cannot make a good movie without a good script, but it is equally true that a talented director can make a good script into an excellent film.
- It remains to be seen whether these two movies herald a new era of westerns, but there is no doubt that they represent welcome additions to the genre.
- showing respect and support for a particular person or belief in a way that does not change, even in different situations
- a true friend
- true to somebody/something She has always been true to herself (= done what she thought was good, right, etc.).
- He was true to his word (= did what he promised to do).
- Many were executed for remaining true to their principles.
- Knights swore to be true to their lord.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs- be
- feel
- remain
- …
- absolutely
- to
- true to your word
- true (to something) being an accurate version or copy of something
- The movie is not true to the book.
- The painting is a true likeness of her.
Extra Examples- The article isn't at all true to what I actually said.
- True to her prediction, it began snowing later that day.
- Is it your wish that I should sign these minutes as a true record of that meeting?
- This account is now accepted as a true reflection of what actually happened.
- [not usually before noun] (old-fashioned or literary) straight and accurate
- His aim was true (= he hit the target).
correct
real
admitting fact
loyal
accurate
Word OriginOld English trēowe, trȳwe ‘steadfast, loyal’; related to Dutch getrouw, German treu, also to truce.
Idioms
come true
- (of a hope, wish, etc.) to become reality
- Winning the medal was like a dream come true.
- All her wishes came true.
ring true/hollow/false
- to give the impression of being sincere/true or not sincere/true
- It may seem a strange story but it rings true to me.
- His expressions of support rang rather hollow.
- His promise rang hollow.
too good to be true
- used to say that you cannot believe that something is as good as it seems
- ‘I'm afraid you were quoted the wrong price.’ ‘I thought it was too good to be true.’
tried and true (North American English)
(British English tried and tested/trusted)
- that you have used or relied on in the past successfully
- a tried and true method for solving the problem
More Like This Alliteration in idiomsAlliteration in idioms- belt and braces
- black and blue
- born and bred
- chalk and cheese
- chop and change
- done and dusted
- down and dirty
- in dribs and drabs
- eat somebody out of house and home
- facts and figures
- fast and furious
- first and foremost
- forgive and forget
- hale and hearty
- hem and haw
- kith and kin
- mix and match
- part and parcel
- puff and pant
- to rack and ruin
- rant and rave
- risk life and limb
- short and sweet
- signed and sealed
- spic and span
- through thick and thin
- this and that
- top and tail
- tried and tested
- wax and wane
your true colours
- (often disapproving) your real character, rather than the one that you usually allow other people to see
- It was only after they got married that he showed himself in his true colours.
true to form
- used to say that somebody is behaving in the way that you expect them to behave, especially when this is annoying
- True to form, she managed to upset everyone before leaving.
true to life
- (of a book, film, etc.) seeming real rather than invented
- I don’t think the characters are very true to life.