take at face value
Trust without scrutiny
To take something at face value is to accept it as it appears, without questioning or looking deeper.
The phrase draws from the nominal worth printed on currency or documents—what it claims to be worth on its surface.
I took his apology at face value, though others suspected he was insincere.
Often used with skepticism implied: You can't take everything politicians say at face value.
- blind trustComplete unquestioning confidence
- credulityUncritical acceptance of claims
- literalismExact meaning only
- gullibilityEase of being deceived
- no questions askedWithout requiring explanation
trust · good faith · ingenuousness · assume · benefit of the doubt · acceptance · simplicity · naivety · assumption · prima facie · honesty · directness · straight shooter · honest broker · belief · explicitness · reliance · transparency
take at face valuequestion
Request for information
doubt · distrust · scrutinize · challenge · second-guess
take at face valueread between the lines
Discern implicit meaning
dig deeper · analyze · fact-check · deconstruct · interpret
take, takes, taken, taker, takers, face, faces, faced, facial