to take the shadow for the substance
- idiom
- Archaic
:
confundir la sombra con la sustancia
- It is easy to take the shadow for the substance in a world full of clever advertising.
Examples
-
Many people take the shadow for the substance when judging others by appearances alone.
-
Don't take the shadow for the substance!
-
Careful analysis helps us avoid taking the shadow for the substance in complex situations.
-
She takes the shadow for the substance too often.
-
It is easy to take the shadow for the substance in a world full of clever advertising.
-
Many people take the shadow for the substance when judging others by appearances alone.
-
Careful analysis helps us avoid taking the shadow for the substance in complex situations.
Synonyms
1
8.2
To see something as having more meaning than it really has
To mistake how something looks for how it really is
How Accurate
- US
705
1.4
914
2.5
- Archaic
37
1.0
23
4.2
1
7.7
Surface Forms
Morphology
take + the + shadow + for + the + substance
The phrase follows the compositional pattern 'take X for Y' (to mistake one thing for another) and uses contrasting nouns 'shadow' (insubstantial/appearance) and 'substance' (essence/real thing), so the overall metaphorical meaning 'mistake appearance for reality' is inferable from the parts. However, the figurative senses here are somewhat literary and rely on a metaphorical mapping that may not be fully predictable for all B1 learners without prior exposure, so it is only partially transparent.
Etymology
Take the shadow for the substance gives a simple picture: you see a shadow on a wall and think it is the real substance behind it. So it means 'to mistake something unimportant or false for something real or important'.