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.
噂を鵜呑みにしてはいけない。
You shouldn't swallow rumors uncritically.
ネットの情報を鵜呑みにするのは危険だ。
It's dangerous to take internet information at face value.
彼の言うことを鵜呑みにした結果、大きな損をした。
As a result of blindly believing what he said, I suffered a big loss.
The metaphor comes from the cormorant (鵜), a bird used in traditional Japanese 鵜飼い (cormorant fishing). The cormorant swallows fish whole without chewing — just as someone who 鵜呑みにする accepts information without "chewing" on it (analyzing it). Almost always used in the pattern ～を鵜呑みにする.
COMMON PATTERNS:
- ～を鵜呑みにする: to accept uncritically; to take at face value
- 鵜呑みにしてはいけない: one must not swallow it whole
- 鵜呑みにした結果: as a result of blindly accepting
COMMON OBJECTS:
- 情報を鵜呑みにする: to accept information uncritically
- 噂を鵜呑みにする: to believe rumors without questioning
- 言葉を鵜呑みにする: to take someone's words at face value
SIMILAR WORDS:
- 真に受ける: to take seriously; to take literally — can be neutral or negative; sometimes the issue is taking jokes seriously
- 信じ込む: to believe firmly — emphasizes strong conviction; may or may not involve critical thinking