moment of truth
noun
the moment in a bullfight at which the matador is about to make the kill.
the moment at which one's character, courage, skill, etc., is put to an extreme test; critical moment.
Origin of moment of truth
First recorded in 1930–35
Words nearby moment of truth
mombasa,
mome,
moment,
moment of inertia,
moment of sail,
moment of truth,
momentarily,
momentary,
momently,
momento,
momentous
British Dictionary definitions for moment of truth
moment of truth
noun
a moment when a person or thing is put to the test
the point in a bullfight when the matador is about to kill the bull
Idioms and Phrases with moment of truth
moment of truth
A critical or decisive time, at which one is put to the ultimate test, as in Now that all the bills are in, we've come to the moment of truth—can we afford to live here or not? This expression, a translation of the Spanish el momento de la verdad, signifies the point in a bullfight when the matador makes the kill. It was first used in English in Ernest Hemingway's story Death in the Afternoon (1932).