ain't that the truth
- idiom
- /eɪnt ðæt ðə truːθ/
- Informal
- The weather has been unpredictable lately, ain't that the truth?
Examples
-
Ain't that the truth, man?
-
Ain't that the truth?
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That's a challenging project, ain't that the truth?
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After all that we've been through, ain't that the truth?
Synonyms
To emphasize and agree that something is true
Shows that you agree strongly with what someone says
To say you agree with someone
Say this to show agreement or acceptance
A strong way to agree with what someone says
Say this to show you strongly agree with something
To show you strongly agree with what someone said
Adds strong agreement or extra emphasis to a statement, especially in old writing
A short casual reply showing weak agreement or that you heard someone
An informal exclamation used to show agreement
Antonyms
How Strong
- Informal
- Informal
Surface Forms
Morphology
The phrase is transparently compositional: 'ain't' functions as a colloquial negator/contracted copula (≈ 'isn't/aren't'), and 'that the truth' straightforwardly points to the truth of the preceding comment. A B1 learner who knows these constituents can readily infer it as an emphatic expression of agreement (equivalent to 'that's true'), though it is colloquial in register.
Etymology
Ain't that the truth comes from everyday speech where ain't is a casual way to say 'isn't' or 'is not'. People say it when they hear something obvious and want to show they 'agree strongly', so it means 'that's definitely true'.