turn the other cheek

verb

To accept punishment or injury without retaliating.

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Meanings

verbturn the other cheek (third-person singular simple present turns the other cheek, present participle turning the other cheek, simple past and past participle turned the other cheek)

present singular third person turns the other cheek · participle present turning the other cheek · participle past turned the other cheek · past turned the other cheek

  1. idiomaticTo accept punishment or injury without retaliating.

Origin

From the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus rejected the eye for an eye philosophy in favour of a more humble approach.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Catalan girar l'altra galta
  • girar l'altra galtaaccept injury without revenge
Danish vende den anden kind til
  • vende den anden kind tilaccept injury without revenge
Dutch (iemand) de andere wang toekeren
  • (iemand) de andere wang toekerenaccept injury without revenge
Finnish kääntää toinenkin poski
  • kääntää toinenkin poskiaccept injury without revenge
French tendre l'autre joue
  • tendre l'autre joueaccept injury without revenge
German die andere Wange hinhalten, die andere Backe hinhalten
  • die andere Wange hinhaltenaccept injury without revenge
  • die andere Backe hinhaltenaccept injury without revenge
Hungarian másik arc odafordítása/odatartása
  • másik arc odafordítása/odatartásaaccept injury without revenge
Italian porgere l'altra guancia
  • porgere l'altra guanciaaccept injury without revenge
Latin vertō alteram maxillam
  • vertō alteram maxillamaccept injury without revenge
Polish nadstawiać drugi policzek, nadstawić drugi policzek
  • nadstawiać drugi policzekaccept injury without revenge
  • nadstawić drugi policzekaccept injury without revenge
Portuguese dar a outra face, oferecer a outra face
  • dar a outra faceaccept injury without revenge
  • oferecer a outra faceaccept injury without revenge
Russian подста́вить другу́ю щёку
  • подста́вить другу́ю щёку (podstávitʹ drugúju ščóku)accept injury without revenge
Spanish poner la otra mejilla
  • poner la otra mejillaaccept injury without revenge
Swedish vända andra kinden till
  • vända andra kinden tillaccept injury without revenge
Cite this entry
APA

turn the other cheek. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20the%20other%20cheek

MLA

“turn the other cheek.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20the%20other%20cheek. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “turn the other cheek,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/turn%20the%20other%20cheek.

Source: turn the other cheek on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.