salt of the earth

2 antonyms for salt of the earth — opposites grouped by meaning.

Noun phrase — An ordinary, decent, dependable person who does good without fuss and can be counted on; used of people considered thoroughly worthy.

Synonyms by Meaning

1. noun phrase

An ordinary, decent, dependable person who does good without fuss and can be counted on; used of people considered thoroughly worthy.

“Her neighbours are the salt of the earth, always first to help.”

good sort decent people backbone of the community

2. adjective phrase

Plain, honest and unpretentious, especially in a working-class way.

“It is a salt-of-the-earth town where nobody puts on airs.”

down-to-earth unpretentious homespun

Opposites

pretentious affected

Antonyms

pretentious affected

How to use salt of the earth

The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.

the salt of the earth salt-of-the-earth people absolute salt of the earth

Neutral to affectionate; slightly old-fashioned but still widely used, particularly in British speech.

Etymology

From the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5:13, where Jesus tells his followers they are the salt of the earth. Salt was valued as a preservative and seasoning, so the phrase praised them as what keeps the world wholesome.

Full origin of salt of the earth →

Frequently asked questions

What does it mean to call someone the salt of the earth?

It means they are genuinely good, honest and reliable, without needing recognition for it. The compliment carries a strong flavour of ordinariness, so it fits a helpful neighbour better than a celebrity.

Is salt of the earth a compliment or an insult?

It is a compliment, and a warm one. A very small edge of condescension can creep in when a wealthier speaker uses it of working-class people, so tone matters.

Do you hyphenate salt of the earth?

Only before a noun, as in salt-of-the-earth values. As a standalone description it stays unhyphenated: they are the salt of the earth.

People also searched

affected pretentious down-to-earth homespun unpretentious

Nearby words

← Back to the full definition of salt of the earth