50 Common Proverbs in English

 50 Common Proverbs in English

This is a list of popular English proverbs. Proverbs are also known as sayings. Proverbs give some form of life advice. Every language and culture has them, and many proverbs exist in more than one language. It is important not to miss any of the words in most proverbs because the meaning can be lost if even one word is changed or left out. This list of English proverbs includes definitions and examples, and is meant to improve English vocabulary and English cultural knowledge.

1	PROVERB	Absence makes the heart grow fonder
	MEANING	Being away from someone or something for a period of time makes you appreciate that person or thing more when you see them or it again
	EXAMPLE	“I used to hate going to my aunt’s house, but now I kind of miss it. Absence makes the heart grow fonder.”
2	PROVERB	Actions speak louder than words.
	MEANING	What you do is more important than what you say
	EXAMPLE	“Don’t just tell me you’re going to change. Do it! Actions speak louder than words.”
3	PROVERB	A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
	MEANING	You must begin something if you hope to finish it; something that takes a long time to finish begins with one step
	EXAMPLE	“If you want to lose weight, you need to stop eating junk, and you need to start exercising. Today. Not tomorrow. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
4	PROVERB	All good things must come to an end
	MEANING	Everything ends; good times don’t last forever
	EXAMPLE	“I wish this vacation would go on forever. It’s too bad that all good things must come to an end.”
5	PROVERB	A picture is worth a thousand words
	MEANING	An image can tell a story better than words
	EXAMPLE	“I wasn’t sure that he loved her, but then I saw them hugging at the airport. A picture is worth a thousand words.”
6	PROVERB	A watched pot never boils
	MEANING	If something takes time to do, it doesn’t help to constantly check on it. You just have to give it time.
	EXAMPLE	“I know you think he’s going to be a great guitar player one day, but stop criticizing him so much. He just started taking lessons two weeks ago! A watched pot never boils.”
7	PROVERB	Beggars can’t be choosers
	MEANING	If you’re in a bad situation and someone offers to help you, you have to take whatever they give you and shouldn’t ask for more
	EXAMPLE	“I was unemployed, and they offered me a job cleaning prison toilets. I didn’t like the job, but I accepted it. Beggars can’t be choosers.”
8	PROVERB	Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
	MEANING	What is “beautiful” is different for each person
	EXAMPLE	“I think their house is ugly, but they seem to like it. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”
9	PROVERB	Better late than never
	MEANING	It’s better to finish something late than to never do it at all
	EXAMPLE	“Hello, Mr. Jameson. Here is my final essay. Better late than never, right?”
10	PROVERB	Birds of a feather flock together
	MEANING	People who are similar spend time together
	EXAMPLE	“I think we all started hanging out because we all liked anime. Birds of a feather flock together.”
11	PROVERB	Cleanliness is next to godliness
	MEANING	It’s good to be clean. God is clean, and you should be too.
	EXAMPLE	“Go take a shower before your date. You know what they say; cleanliness is next to godliness.”
12	PROVERB	Don’t bite the hand that feeds you
	MEANING	Don’t make someone angry or hurt someone who is helping you or paying for you
	EXAMPLE	“You had a fight with your boss? Are you stupid? Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.”
13	PROVERB	Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.
	MEANING	Don’t expect a positive result before you actually see it
	EXAMPLE	A: “This idea is going to make me millions of dollars!” B: “Whoa. Let’s slow down. Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.”
14	PROVERB	Don’t judge a book by its cover
	MEANING	Don’t judge someone or something by appearance alone
	EXAMPLE	“Racism is still a problem today, and it will continue to be that way until we learn not to judge a book by its cover.”
15	PROVERB	Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket
	MEANING	Don’t put all of your hopes and resources into one goal or dream
	EXAMPLE	“I know you really want to be an actor, but don’t you think you’re being financially irresponsible? Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.”
16	PROVERB	Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today
	MEANING	If you can do something today, do it. Don’t wait until tomorrow; don’t procrastinate.
	EXAMPLE	“You have 6 hours of free time now. You should start on that final psychology assignment. Don’t put off until tomorrow what you can do today.”
17	PROVERB	Don’t put too many irons in the fire
	MEANING	Don’t try to do too many things at the same time; focus on one thing at a time
	EXAMPLE	“No wonder you’re exhausted. You’re trying to work 4 jobs at the same time! You have too many irons in the fire right now.”
18	PROVERB	Easy come, easy go
	MEANING	When you make money quickly, it’s very easy to lose it quickly as well
	EXAMPLE	“I won $200 at the casino, and then I spent it on a very expensive meal for me and some friends. Easy come, easy go.”
19	PROVERB	Fortune favors the bold
	MEANING	People who are brave and who take risks are more successful than people who are do things safely all the time
	EXAMPLE	“It’s a risk, but the reward could be great. I say you go for it. Fortune favors the bold.”
20	PROVERB	God helps those who help themselves
	MEANING	Don’t just wait for good things to happen to you. Work hard to make them happen
	EXAMPLE	“If you want a better life, you can’t just sit on your butt thinking about it. You have to work to make it happen. God helps those who help themselves.”
21	PROVERB	Good things come to those who wait
	MEANING	If you are patient, good things can happen
	EXAMPLE	“I know you’re hungry, but stop being so impatient. We just ordered our food. Good things come to those who wait.”
22	PROVERB	Honesty is the best policy
	MEANING	It’s always better to tell the truth than it is to lie
	EXAMPLE	“If you want people to trust you, you need to be honest with them. Honesty is the best policy.”
23	PROVERB	Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
	MEANING	In any situation, be optimistic about the result, but always be ready for the worst outcome
	EXAMPLE	“We’re going on vacation next week. It’s supposed to rain a lot, so we’re bringing our umbrellas and a bunch of board games. Hope for the best, prepare for the worst.”
24	PROVERB	If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it
	MEANING	If something is already working well, don’t try to change it or improve it
	EXAMPLE	“Why are you trying to upgrade your PC again? It was working fine before. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”
25	PROVERB	If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em
	MEANING	If you can’t change someone’s behavior or opinion, sometimes it’s better or easier to do what they want to do
	EXAMPLE	“I told Mark that we needed to study, but he kept playing video games. Eventually I gave up and just played video games too. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.”
26	PROVERB	If you play with fire, you’ll get burned
	MEANING	If you get involved in something dangerous or beyond your abilities, you will probably experience negative consequences
	EXAMPLE	“Don’t make him angry. If you play with fire, you’ll get burned.”
27	PROVERB	If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself
	MEANING	Don’t depend on someone else to do a good job; do it yourself
	EXAMPLE	“I asked my roommate to wash the dishes, but they ended up super filthy! I guess it’s true what they say: if you want something done right, you have to do it yourself.”
28	PROVERB	Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer
	MEANING	If someone is your enemy, treat them like a friend so you can be ready if they ever try to betray you
	EXAMPLE	“We don’t trust each other, but we have to be nice to each other because we work for the same company. I’m worried about him stealing my promotion, so I’m going to keep being nice to him. Keep your friends close, but your enemies closer, and all that.”
29	PROVERB	Knowledge is power
	MEANING	The more you know, the more powerful you can be in different areas of your life
	EXAMPLE	“When we were kids, our parents taught us how to swim. That knowledge helped me to save my cousin’s life when he was 5 years old. Knowledge is power.”
30	PROVERB	Laughter is the best medicine.
	MEANING	When you’re in a difficult situation, laughing can make it easier to get through that situation
	EXAMPLE	“I’m sorry to hear about your dog. Want to watch a funny movie? Sometimes, laughter is the best medicine.”
31	PROVERB	Like father, like son
	MEANING	Said when a son is similar to his father; also, “Like mother, like daughter”
	EXAMPLE	“Ryan started playing hockey at a very young age. He’s just like his dad. Like father, like son.”
32	PROVERB	No man is an island
	MEANING	No one is truly capable of living alone. We need human connection to be healthy
	EXAMPLE	“You can’t just abandon your friends and family. No man is an island.”
33	PROVERB	People who live in glass houses should not throw stones
	MEANING	Don’t criticize someone if you’re not perfect either; don’t be a hyprocrite
	EXAMPLE	“Why are you always bothering her about being addicted to her phone? You’ve been smoking for 20 years and haven’t been able to give it up. People who live in glass houses should not throw stones.”
34	PROVERB	Practice makes perfect
	MEANING	The more you do something, the better you will become at it
	EXAMPLE	“Don’t give up on learning the violin. Practice makes perfect.”
35	PROVERB	The early bird gets the worm
	MEANING	People who wake up early or who get to places early have a better chance of success
	EXAMPLE	“I got to the ticket office before anyone else. I got front row seats to the show! The early bird gets the worm.”
36	PROVERB	The enemy of my enemy is my friend
	MEANING	If someone whom I don’t like doesn’t like someone else whom I don’t like, we can act like friends and unite against the other person (common in war)
	EXAMPLE	“I don’t like you, you don’t like me. But I think we can agree that we both HATE Daniel. Let’s work together and get him fired! The enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?”
37	PROVERB	The grass is always greener on the other side
	MEANING	People always want what they don’t have
	EXAMPLE	A: “I’m jealous of all the free time my single friends have.” B: “Yeah, but your friends are probably jealous of you too in some ways. The grass is always greener on the other side.”
38	PROVERB	The pen is mightier than the sword
	MEANING	If you’re trying to convince someone of something, words and ideas are stronger than using physical force (common in politics)
	EXAMPLE	“We must avoid this war and use diplomacy to solve our problems. The pen is mightier than the sword.”
39	PROVERB	There is no place like home
	MEANING	Your home is the most comfortable place in the world
	EXAMPLE	“What a tiring vacation! I’m glad to be back in my own bed again. There’s no place like home.”
40	PROVERB	There is no such thing as a free lunch.
	MEANING	Nothing is free. Even the things that are free have a hidden cost
	EXAMPLE	“His bank gave him $50 for free, but he had to commit to opening a credit card account. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
41	PROVERB	There is no time like the present
	MEANING	Don’t wait to do something. Do it now.
	EXAMPLE	“Why don’t you stop talking about needing to call your mom? Just CALL her! There is no time like the present.”
42	PROVERB	The squeaky wheel gets the grease
	MEANING	The person who complains in a situation is more likely to get something.
	EXAMPLE	A: “I just don’t understand why she’s received so many promotions, and I’m still at the bottom of the company!” B: “She complains a lot. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.”
43	PROVERB	Time is money
	MEANING	Don’t waste your time or other people’s time; also, if you can use your time to make money in some way, you should do that.
	EXAMPLE	“Hurry up! Time is money!”
44	PROVERB	Two heads are better than one
	MEANING	It’s easier to do something as a team than by yourself
	EXAMPLE	“I’m stuck on this project. Can you help me out? Two heads are better than one.”
45	PROVERB	Two wrongs don’t make a right
	MEANING	Trying to get revenge on someone who has hurt you will only make things worse
	EXAMPLE	“I know she made you angry, but did you have to steal her phone? Two wrongs don’t make a right.”
46	PROVERB	When in Rome, do as the Romans do
	MEANING	When you are in a new place or situation, try to act like the majority of people in that place or situation.
	EXAMPLE	A: “You’ve been eating a lot of bread and cheese on this Paris vacation.” B: “Hey, when in Rome.”
47	PROVERB	When the going gets tough, the tough get going
	MEANING	When a situation becomes difficult, strong people don’t give up; they work harder
	EXAMPLE	“My great grandfather survived the Great Depression. You know the phrase, ‘when the going gets tough, the tough get going?’ That was my great grandfather.”
48	PROVERB	Where there’s smoke, there’s fire
	MEANING	If something seems wrong, it probably is; also, there is usually some truth to a rumor
	EXAMPLE	“Matilda came to school with a black eye today. She cried when I asked her about it after class and didn’t want to say anything about her parents. I don’t want to speculate too much, but where there’s smoke, there’s usually fire.”
49	PROVERB	You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it
	MEANING	You can try to help someone by giving good advice, but you can’t force them to accept it or follow it
	EXAMPLE	“She tried to help her brother find a job by improving his resume, but he didn’t do anything with it. I guess you can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink it.”
50	PROVERB	You can’t always get what you want
	MEANING	Don’t complain if you don’t get what you want
	EXAMPLE	A: I really wanted to see that movie, but I didn’t have enough money last week B: It happens. You can’t always get what you want, right?