I take you at your word
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
I will act in reliance upon what you tell me. Word 969 Worm Many words will not fill a bushel. Mere promises will not help the needy. If we say to a beggar, "Be thou filled," is he filled?
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “I take you at your word” mean?
I will act in reliance upon what you tell me. Word 969 Worm Many words will not fill a bushel. Mere promises will not help the needy. If we say to a beggar, "Be thou filled," is he filled?
Is “I take you at your word” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.