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Meaning of take someone at their word | Babel Free

Verb CEFR C2

Definitions

To take someone literally even though they may not have been serious; to take someone seriously even though they were joking; to take up a challenge that was initially meant as a joke.
transitive
To take someone's word for it, to believe someone without having the means to check that what they said is true.
transitive

Equivalents

Suomi ottaa todesta

Français croire sur parole prendre au mot prendre au pied de la lettre

Polski uwierzyć na słowo wierzyć na słowo

Русский ве́рить на́ слово пове́рить на́ слово

Examples

“There’s no way to objectively know if a particular alterhuman individual is actually an otherkin, otherkith, or otherlink. As with matters of gender identity, they have to be taken at their word—sometimes quite literally: it might be a word you've never heard before.”

CEFR level

C2

Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.

See also

take someone down the garden path take someone for all they've got take someone out back take someone to the grave take someone up short take someone's arm