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Meaning & use

seeing is believing

phrase·Everydayinformal

Last updated

UK/ˌsiːɪŋ ɪz bɪˈliːvɪŋ/
US/ˌsiːɪŋ ɪz bɪˈliːvɪŋ/

Meanings

  1. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    Said to mean that a person finds a claim convincing only after seeing the evidence with their own eyes.

    Grammar: A complete saying that stands alone as a sentence; the wording does not change.

    Patterns

    • Well, seeing is believing.

    I did not think the old car would start, but seeing is believing.

    He said the new shop was huge, and seeing is believing, so we went to look.

    When she showed me the before and after photos, I thought, seeing is believing.

  2. phrasefixed phraseinformal

    Said to invite someone to look at something themselves so that they will accept it as true.

    Grammar: Often spoken as an invitation: Come and see, seeing is believing.

    Patterns

    • Come and see for yourself, seeing is believing.

    You do not have to take my word for it; seeing is believing.

    The salesman opened the box and said, seeing is believing.

    Come to the lab and watch the experiment, because seeing is believing.

Common combinations

well, seeing is believing
Well, seeing is believing, and I have to admit it works.
they say seeing is believing
They say seeing is believing, so I booked a trip to see it.
as the saying goes, seeing is believing
As the saying goes, seeing is believing, and the results were clear.
proof that seeing is believing
The demonstration was proof that seeing is believing.

Synonyms and how they differ

I'll believe it when I see it
This is a skeptical reply from the doubter, while seeing is believing is a general remark that anyone can make.
proof of the pudding
The proof of the pudding is in the eating talks about testing by trying, while seeing is believing talks about trusting your own eyes.
the evidence of your own eyes
This is a plain description of evidence, whereas seeing is believing is a ready-made saying used in conversation.

Opposites

don't believe everything you see

Word family

see verb
to notice with the eyes
believe verb
to accept something as true
belief noun
the feeling that something is true
believable adjective
able to be accepted as true

Commonly confused: seeing is believing or believing is seeing?

seeing is believing vs believing is seeing

This reversed saying means that what people already believe shapes what they notice, which is the opposite idea.

Practice

Tom did not trust the rumor about the new bridge until he walked across it. What could he say afterward?

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