Speakur

Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

cast the first stone

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.48 in modern English

Syllables
cast the -first -s-tone
IPA
25
Scrabble Score
17
Letters
4
Syllables
11
Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To act self-righteously in accusing another person, believing oneself to be blameless.

Example Sentences

Etymology

From the Bible John 8:7, where Jesus tells the accusers of a woman of adultery that "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her". All accusers did not do so, and Jesus forgave the woman's sin.

Inflected Forms

casts the first stone (present, singular) casting the first stone (participle, present)

Phrases

people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

Frequently Paired Words

people who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones

Questions

What does cast the first stone mean?
To act self-righteously in accusing another person, believing oneself to be blameless.
Where does cast the first stone come from?
From the Bible John 8:7, where Jesus tells the accusers of a woman of adultery that "He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her". All accusers did not do so, and Jesus forgave the woman's sin.

How to pronounce cast the first stone

  1. Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “cast the first stone”.
  2. Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
  3. Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “cast the first stone”.
  4. Repeat and practice — Say “cast the first stone” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.