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Glite Dictionary
to cast bread upon the waters

to cast bread upon the waters

9.9
Do something kind without expecting anything back, hoping it helps later
  • idiom
  • Archaic
translation icon : hacer el bien sin esperar nada a cambio
  • Cast thy bread upon the water.

Examples

  • If you choose to cast bread upon the waters, you may help someone in need without expecting anything back.

  • In life, sometimes we must cast bread upon the waters and trust that our kindness will come back to us.

  • She decided to cast her bread upon the waters by donating to the local shelter, hoping to make a difference.

Synonyms

to give the shirt off someone's back
vsto cast bread upon the waters
  • Informal
1 7.1

So generous that they would give almost everything to help others

is generous but not necessarily willing to give everything
to risk it for the biscuit
vsto cast bread upon the waters
  • Slang
9.6

Take a chance to get a reward

can be selfless or a hopeful long term risk rather than personal reward

Antonyms

to hoard
45 4.8

To collect and keep large amounts of food or other things for future use

How Generous

to sacrifice
394 3.4
to cast bread upon the waters
  • Archaic
9.9
to donate
457 2.7
to give
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

cast bread upon the waters infinitive
cast bread upon the waters past
cast bread upon the waters past participle
casting bread upon the waters present participle
casts bread upon the waters third person singular

Morphology

cast + bread + upon + the + water

This is a biblical/proverbial metaphor whose intended sense (act generously or take a risk in hope of future return) is not derivable from the literal words 'cast' + 'bread' + 'upon' + 'water'; a B1 learner knowing the constituents would most likely interpret it literally (throwing bread on water) and not infer the proverb's abstract meaning. The interpretation depends on cultural/religious knowledge and metaphorical extension, making the phrase unpredictable from its parts.

Etymology

Cast bread upon the waters comes from a line in the Bible and paints a simple picture: imagine throwing a piece of bread into the waters where it seems lost, but after some time something good comes back. So it means 'to act generously or take a risk' because your gift or action may bring a reward later.