鵜呑(うの)み

うのみ
noun
accepting uncritically; swallowing whole
cognition
1. accepting uncritically; swallowing whole; taking at face value
Accepting information, claims, or instructions without questioning, analyzing, or verifying them. Always used negatively, warning against a lack of critical thinking.
噂(うわさ)を鵜呑(うの)みにしてはいけない。
You shouldn't swallow rumors uncritically.
ネットの情報(じょうほう)を鵜呑(うの)みにするのは危険(きけん)だ。
It's dangerous to take internet information at face value.
彼(かれ)の言(い)うことを鵜呑(うの)みにした結果(けっか)、大(おお)きな損(そん)をした。
As a result of blindly believing what he said, I suffered a big loss.

The metaphor comes from the cormorant (鵜(う)), a bird used in traditional Japanese 鵜飼(うか)い (cormorant fishing). The cormorant swallows fish whole without chewing — just as someone who 鵜呑(うの)みにする accepts information without "chewing" on it (analyzing it). Almost always used in the pattern ～を鵜呑(うの)みにする.

Common patterns

  • ～を鵜呑(うの)みにする: to accept uncritically; to take at face value
  • 鵜呑(うの)みにしてはいけない: one must not swallow it whole
  • 鵜呑(うの)みにした結果(けっか): as a result of blindly accepting

Common collocations

Similar words

  • 真(ま)に受(う)ける: to take seriously; to take literally — can be neutral or negative; sometimes the issue is taking jokes seriously
  • 信(しん)じ込(こ)む: to believe firmly — emphasizes strong conviction; may or may not involve critical thinking

Related Words

Compare: 真(ま)に受(う)ける (to take seriously)
Compare: 信(しん)じ込(こ)む (to believe firmly)
general
Added 2026.5.8 1:24 · Revised 2026.10.4 4:16
27000/27228_unomi