Meaning & use
moral of the story
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Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
The useful lesson that a tale or personal experience teaches about how to behave.
Grammar: Often used as a sentence opener or after be: The moral of the story is to plan ahead.
Patterns
- the moral of the story is that something
The moral of the story is that honesty pays off.
After missing the bus twice, the moral of the story was clear: leave early.
What is the moral of the story in this fable?
phrasefixed phraseinformalhumorous
Used humorously to sum up what an everyday event shows, often as a mock lesson.
Grammar: A casual way to end an anecdote with a joke.
Patterns
- moral of the story: do something
I forgot the charger and now my phone is dead. Moral of the story: pack carefully.
Moral of the story: never trust a free coupon.
He lost the bet, and the moral of the story is not to gamble with friends.
Common combinations
- the moral of the story is
- The moral of the story is that slow and steady wins.
- learn the moral
- Children learn the moral from the tale.
- what is the moral of the story
- What is the moral of the story about the fox?
- point out the moral
- The teacher pointed out the moral at the end.
- moral of the story is clear
- The moral of the story is clear: save early.
Synonyms and how they differ
- lesson
- Lesson is the general word for anything learned, and does not specifically link to a story.
- takeaway
- Takeaway is business-like and refers to the main point of a talk or report, not specifically a tale.
- message
- Message is broader and can refer to any meaning a writer wants to deliver.
- point
- Point is the plain word for the main idea and has no suggestion of teaching right behavior.
Word family
Commonly confused: moral of the story or morale?
moral of the story vs morale
Morale means the confidence and spirit of a group and is stressed on the second syllable, unlike moral.
Practice
A fable ends with the sentence, The moral of the story is: never boast. What does moral mean here?
Choose one answer.
The moral is the lesson the story teaches. A summary of events retells the plot rather than giving a lesson.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “moral of the story”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.