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Glite Dictionary
to look a gift horse in the mouth

to look a gift horse in the mouth

5 8.4
To accept a free gift without complaining and say thank you
  • idiom
translation icon : no mirar un regalo en los dientes
  • When you get a free meal, don’t look a gift horse in the mouth by complaining about the service.
  • Never look a gift horse in the mouth

Examples

  • Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

    Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)

  • For Christ's sake, Jacko, don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Never look a gift horse in the mouth, dear heart.

    Inside Daisy Clover (1966)

  • Not to look a gift horse in the mouth here, but, uh, mind if I ask you why?

    Tyrannosaurus Azteca (2007)

  • But I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth if someone else just wants me to come and watch.

  • Bruce is in no position to look a gift horse in the mouth.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • Don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

    Adopt a Sailor (2008)

  • I don't look a gift horse in the mouth.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • You know, Mr. Otto, you shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth.

    WWJD II: The Woodcarver (2012)

  • These ministers aren't looking a gift horse in the mouth.

    Blog text (33)

Synonyms

to complain
vsto look a gift horse in the mouth
∞ 1.0

To say you are unhappy about something and want it changed

involves questioning the value of a received present rather than general dissatisfaction
to find fault
vsto look a gift horse in the mouth
15 4.4

To say something is wrong or not good, often about small things

focuses on not valuing a received present rather than ordinary criticism
to turn up one's nose
vsto look a gift horse in the mouth
3 7.5

To show you think something is not good enough

expresses not valuing a received present rather than just general contempt
to underappreciate
vsto look a gift horse in the mouth
1 5.2

To not value someone or something as much as they deserve

is specifically about failing to value a received present rather than general underrecognition
to misprise
vsto look a gift horse in the mouth
  • Archaic
1 9.9

To think someone or something is not important

is about not appreciating a received present rather than general undervaluing

Antonyms

to appreciate
∞ 3.2

To feel grateful for someone or something

appreciative
56 3.2

Showing thanks for someone's help or a gift

Surface Forms

look a gift horse in the mouth infinitive

Morphology

look + a + gift + horse + in + the + mouth

The literal meanings of 'look', 'gift', 'horse' and 'mouth' produce a concrete image (examining a horse's mouth) but do not transparently yield the proverb's sense of criticizing a received gift; understanding the idiom requires cultural/historical knowledge about checking a horse's age by its teeth. This specialised background and the non‑compositional shift from literal action to evaluative advice make the expression unpredictable for a B1 learner who only knows the constituent words.

Etymology

Look a gift horse in the mouth comes from the old habit of checking a horse's teeth at its mouth to see its age and value. If someone gave you a horse, looking in its mouth was rude because it showed you did not trust or like the gift, so today the phrase means don't 'question its value' and accept gifts gratefully.