ENGLISH
REFERENCE

moral of the story

idiom
Meaning

The key lesson or message that an incident, situation or other happening conveys; a general takeaway point.


Examples
SIMPLE

The moral of the story is to always be kind.

CONTEXTUAL

After losing all his money on a bad investment, he realized the moral of the story was to research before acting.

COMPLEX

Reflecting on the tragic collapse of the empire, the historian concluded that the moral of the story was that unchecked power inevitably leads to ruin.

Anchors to
Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    Banbury story of a cock and a bull

    A roundabout, nonsensical story.

  2. 02

    break the story

    To be the first to address or publicize an issue, often a news story.

  3. 03

    change one's story

    To give an account of events different from the one previously recounted.

  4. 04

    cock-and-bull story

    A far-fetched and fanciful story or tale of highly dubious validity.

  5. 05

    long story short

    Introducing a short version of, or simply the conclusion of, a relevant story.

  6. 06

    moral bankruptcy

    The state or condition of being morally bankrupt; unethicality.

  7. 07

    moral high ground

    A position or point of view which is ethically superior or more reputable, in comparison to others which are under consideration.

  8. 08

    moral low ground

    A position or point of view which is unethical or less reputable, in comparison to others which are under consideration.

© 2026 English Reference