Meanings
present singular third person casts pearls before swine · participle present casting pearls before swine
- idiomaticTo give things of value to those who will not understand or appreciate them.
1 more example
Blanche: ...Physical beauty is passing. A transitory possession. But beauty of the mind and richness of the spirit and tenderness of the heart—and I have all of those things—aren't taken away, but grow! Increase with the years! How strange that I should be called a destitute woman! When I have all of these treasures locked in my heart. [A choked sob comes from her] I think of myself as a very, very rich woman! But I have been foolish—casting my pearls before swine!
1947, Tennessee Williams, A Streetcar Named Desire, Scene 10Synonyms: preach to deaf ears
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo give things of value to those who will not understand or appreciate them.
Origin
From the Bible: "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you." – KJV, Matthew 7:6.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 明珠暗投
- 明珠暗投 (míngzhūàntóu)to cast pearls before swine
Czech házet perly sviním
- házet perly svinímto cast pearls before swine
Danish kaste perler for svin
- kaste perler for svinto cast pearls before swine
Dutch parels voor de zwijnen, paarlen voor de zwijnen werpen
- parels voor de zwijnento cast pearls before swine
- paarlen voor de zwijnen werpento cast pearls before swine
Esperanto ĵeti perlojn antaŭ la porkojn
- ĵeti perlojn antaŭ la porkojnto cast pearls before swine
Finnish heittää helmiä sioille
- heittää helmiä sioilleto cast pearls before swine
French jeter des perles aux pourceaux, donner de la confiture à des cochons
- jeter des perles aux pourceauxto cast pearls before swine
- donner de la confiture à des cochonsto cast pearls before swine
German Perlen vor die Säue werfen
- Perlen vor die Säue werfento cast pearls before swine
Greek μαργαρίτας τοις κυσίν
- μαργαρίτας τοις κυσίν (margarítas tois kysín)to cast pearls before swine
Hebrew נזם זהב באף חזיר
- נזם זהב באף חזיר (nezem zahav be'af hazeer)to cast pearls before swine
Icelandic kasta perlum fyrir svín
- kasta perlum fyrir svínto cast pearls before swine
Italian gettare perle ai porci
- gettare perle ai porcito cast pearls before swine
Japanese 豚に真珠
- 豚に真珠 (buta ni shinju)to cast pearls before swine
Latin mittere margaritas ante porcos
- mittere margaritas ante porcosto cast pearls before swine
Malay kera diberi bunga
- kera diberi bungato cast pearls before swine
Norwegian Bokmål kaste perler for svin
- kaste perler for svinto cast pearls before swine
Polish rzucać perły przed wieprze, rzucić perły przed wieprze
- rzucać perły przed wieprzeto cast pearls before swine
- rzucić perły przed wieprzeto cast pearls before swine
Portuguese dar pérolas a porcos, jogar pérolas aos porcos (other verbs used: atirar, lançar)
- dar pérolas a porcosto cast pearls before swine
- jogar pérolas aos porcos (other verbs used: atirar, lançar)to cast pearls before swine
Russian мета́ть би́сер пе́ред сви́ньями
- мета́ть би́сер пе́ред сви́ньями (metátʹ bíser péred svínʹjami)to cast pearls before swine
Spanish echar perlas a los cerdos, dar margaritas a los cerdos
- echar perlas a los cerdosto cast pearls before swine
- dar margaritas a los cerdosto cast pearls before swine
- echar margaritas a los cerdosto cast pearls before swine
- no se hizo la miel para la boca del asnoto cast pearls before swine
- Dios da pan a quien no tiene dientesto cast pearls before swine
Swedish kasta pärlor för svin, kasta pärlor för svinen
- kasta pärlor för svinto cast pearls before swine
- kasta pärlor för svinento cast pearls before swine
Cite this entry
cast pearls before swine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cast%20pearls%20before%20swine
“cast pearls before swine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cast%20pearls%20before%20swine. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cast pearls before swine,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cast%20pearls%20before%20swine.
Source: cast pearls before swine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.