Meaning & use
take nothing for granted
Last updated
Meanings
phraseidiom
to appreciate what you have and not assume it will always be there
Grammar: Used as a complete verb phrase; the subject comes before 'take' and no object follows.
Patterns
- take nothing for granted
- take nothing for granted in life
After his illness, he decided to take nothing for granted and enjoy every day.
She takes nothing for granted and thanks her team after every project.
Living abroad taught me to take nothing for granted, not even clean water.
phraseidiom
to question or check everything instead of trusting it without proof
Grammar: Often used in work or study contexts where careful checking is expected.
Patterns
- take nothing for granted in something
- take nothing for granted when doing something
Good scientists take nothing for granted and test every claim.
In this job you must take nothing for granted; always double-check the figures.
The detective took nothing for granted and re-interviewed all the witnesses.
Common combinations
- take nothing for granted
- He told the graduates to take nothing for granted.
- take something for granted
- We often take something for granted until we lose it.
- take it for granted that
- She took it for granted that the bus would be on time.
- take nothing for granted in life
- My grandmother taught me to take nothing for granted in life.
- learn to take nothing for granted
- After the earthquake, they learned to take nothing for granted.
Synonyms and how they differ
- appreciate
- Use 'appreciate' when you mean feeling thankful for something; 'take nothing for granted' is stronger and suggests you actively avoid assuming things will last.
- be grateful
- 'Be grateful' describes the feeling; 'take nothing for granted' describes a habit of not assuming.
- question everything
- This fits the second sense about checking facts; it is more direct and less personal than 'take nothing for granted'.
Opposites
Commonly confused: take nothing for granted or take it for granted?
take nothing for granted vs take it for granted
'Take it for granted' usually means to assume something without checking, often with a negative tone. 'Take nothing for granted' is the opposite: it means you refuse to make such assumptions.
Practice
After recovering from surgery, Maria said she would ______ and enjoy every moment with her family.
Choose one answer.
The fixed idiom is 'take nothing for granted'. 'Take anything for granted' is not used in this positive sense; 'take nothing granted' misses 'for'; and 'take for granted nothing' has the wrong word order.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “take nothing for granted”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.