kæst pɜːrlz bɪˈfɔːr swaɪn
Animals
formal
advanced
- Literally:
- Throwing precious pearls in front of pigs
What does "cast pearls before swine" mean?
To offer something valuable to someone who cannot appreciate it
Examples
- Presenting a gourmet meal to someone who only eats fast food is like casting pearls before swine.
- She felt she was casting pearls before swine when explaining the poem to the disinterested class.
- Don't waste your time casting pearls before swine.
Origin
From the Bible, Matthew 7:6.
How to use it
Often considered condescending. Literary and biblical in tone.
Similar expressions
waste on the undeserving
fall on deaf ears
Opposites
preach to the choir
find a receptive audience
Related idioms
- kill two birds with one stone
To accomplish two goals with a single action
- let the cat out of the bag
To reveal a secret accidentally
- elephant in the room
An obvious problem or issue that everyone is aware of but no one wants to discuss
- don't count your chickens before they hatch
Don't assume success before it actually happens
- hold your horses
To wait and be patient
- fish out of water
Someone who feels awkward or uncomfortable in a particular situation
Use it in a practice answer
Try "cast pearls before swine" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.