Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

take on the chin

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: Zipf frequency 3.99 in modern English

Syllables: take on the chin
IPA

25

Scrabble Score

13

Letters

1

Syllables

9

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

To accept without flinching or complaining.

British usage; Transitive verb

verb

To be deeply impacted by something.

American usage; Transitive verb

Example Sentences

"Elsewhere in Sweden recently, two underage girls pressed charges when a teenage boy exposed himself to them at a lake. The court decided, despite the victims' testimonies, that the offence was "not of a sexual nature" and dismissed it. But I'm guessing the girls didn't push for molestation charges because they were censorious prudes who would grow into knowing how to take such behaviour on the chin – they felt genuinely threatened, they took their concerns to court, and they deserved more than being told that they'd misread the situation all along."
"The situation seems to be designed so the taxpayers take it on the chin no matter what. District residents who vote down a budget believing they are voting against any tax raise still receive higher tax bills."

Etymology

A reference to the sport of boxing.

Usage

British usage
Transitive verb
American usage

Inflected Forms

takes on the chin (present, singular) taking on the chin (participle, present) took on the chin (past) taken on the chin (participle, past)

Phrases

take something in stride

Frequently Paired Words

take something in stride

Questions

What does take on the chin mean?: To accept without flinching or complaining.
Where does take on the chin come from?: A reference to the sport of boxing.

How to pronounce take on the chin

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