reality check

English

Pronunciation

• Audio (AU)

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Noun

reality check (plural reality checks)

1. A check or review to make sure something is consistent, reasonable, etc.

   Be sure to do a reality check on the idea before releasing it.

2. (idiomatic) A wake-up call; a reminder.

   That kid needs a reality check before he fails or drops out.

   • 2023 March 5, Phil McNulty, “Liverpool 7-0 Manchester United”, in BBC Sport‎^[1]:

     United's renaissance under manager Erik ten Hag already has the tangible reward of the Carabao Cup but Liverpool unleashed a brutal reality check on their progress with a severe thrashing.

Translations

check to make sure something is consistent

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Finnish: todellisuuskoe, todellisuustarkistus, todellisuustesti, tosielämän testi
• French: confrontation avec la réalité f
• Hungarian: szembenézés a valósággal, valóságpróba, valóságteszt
• Romanian: analiză a realității f
• Russian: please add this translation if you can

wake-up call

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: please add this translation if you can

• Danish: realitetscheck n
• Finnish: herätys (fi)
• French: rappel à la réalité m, piqûre de rappel (fr) f
• Hungarian: eligazítás (hu), észhez térítés, észretérítés, figyelmeztetés (hu)
• Russian: please add this translation if you can
• Spanish: baño de realidad, baldazo de realidad
• Swedish: verklighetskoll c, verklighetscheck c

See also

• attitude check
• sanity check
• sniff test