true nature
What someone is
The true nature of something is what it really is beneath appearances or pretense.
The phrase implies a hidden or essential quality that may be obscured: The crisis revealed his true nature.
Often carries moral weight—someone's true nature might be generous or cruel, but the phrase suggests this is the authentic self, not a performance.
- essenceFundamental nature of something
- authenticVerified as original
- soulInnermost animating essence
- coreCentral essential portion
- genuineTruly what it claims
inner self · real self · who you are · reality · character · heart · spirit · inherent · fundamental · intrinsic · being · identity · underlying · deep · deep down · raw · unmasked · revealed
- ___ nature
- inner lifeidentity, feelings, memory, thoughts, self-discovery
- plot twistsplot twist, twist ending, surprise ending, unexpected turn, final reveal
- Buddha-naturetathagatagarbha, dharmakaya, suchness
- inner qualitiesintegrity, wisdom, courage, compassion, resilience
- BuddhismBuddha, dharma wheel, nirvana, dharma, Mahayana
true naturefaçade
False outward appearance
false front · mask · pretense · disguise · deception
true naturesurface
Outermost boundary layer
exterior · veneer · face value · public image · first impression
true natureillusion
Misleading sensory impression
false impression · delusion · misrepresentation · misperception · mirage
true, truly, truth, truths, truthful, truthfully, truthfulness, untrue, trueness