Below
we have created a list of 101 common English Proverbs used extensively in daily
conversations. We have also added their meanings and some examples of their
use, Please check them out:
01. All
that glitters is not gold
Meaning: Something might not be as valuable as it seems to be.
02. A
picture is worth a thousand words
Meaning: Explaining something is easier through a picture than by words
03. All good things come to an end
Meaning: Nothing great lasts forever
04. Beggars can’t be choosers
Meaning: People dependent on others must be content with what is offered to
them
05. A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step
Meaning: It is necessary to take the first step to reach your goal.
06. A
bird in the hand is worth two in the bush
Meaning: What you have is better than what you might get.
07. Actions speak louder than words
Meaning: What someone does means more than what they say they will do.
08. An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Meaning: Eating an apple daily keeps you healthy.
09. An idle brain is the devil’s workshop
Meaning: Evil thoughts come to us easily when we are idle.
10. Better
safe than sorry
Meaning: It is better to take precautions than to regret later.
11. Appearances
can be deceptive
Meaning: Something might be different from how they appear outwardly.
12. A
stitch in time saves nine
Meaning: It is better to deal with problems immediately than let them become
bigger.
13. As
you sow, so you reap
Meaning: Your actions determine your results.
14. The
grass is always greener on the other side
Meaning: Other people always seem to be in a better situation, although it
might not be true.
15. Beauty
is in the eye of the beholder
Meaning: The perception of beauty varies from person to person.
16. Better
late than never
Meaning: Getting something late is better than never getting it.
17. Blood
is thicker than water
Meaning: Family relationships are always stronger than other relationships.
18. When
in Rome, do as the Romans do
Meaning: Follow the local customs when you visit a foreign place.
19. Don’t
count your chickens before they hatch
Meaning: Don’t make plans based on events that have not yet happened.
20. Don’t
judge a book by its cover
Meaning: Don’t form an opinion about someone by their appearance.
21. Don’t
put all your eggs in one basket
Meaning: Don’t risk everything on a single venture
22. Early
bird catches the worm
Meaning: One who arrives first gets the best chance at success
23. Every
cloud has a silver lining
Meaning: There is always a positive side to any difficult situation
24. Enjoy
it while it lasts
Meaning: Make the best of a moment since it won’t last forever
25. Honesty
is the best policy
Meaning: Being honest is the best characteristic
26. Haste
makes waste
Meaning: Doing something too quickly results in mistakes
27. It’s
no use crying over spilt milk
Meaning: You shouldn’t be upset over something that has already happened
28. Strike
while the iron is hot
Meaning: Grab an opportunity at the most favourable time
29. Laughter
is the best medicine
Meaning: Trying to be happy is the best cure
30. Every
dog has its day
Meaning: everyone attains success at some point in their lives
31. The
apple doesn’t fall far from the tree
Meaning: A child has similar characteristics to their parents
32. Necessity
is the mother of invention
Meaning: When you really need something, you find a way to meet the need
33. Never
put off until tomorrow what you can do today
Meaning: Do not delay a task if you can do it immediately
34. Practice
makes a man perfect
Meaning: You become better at a skill by practising it
35. A
friend in need is a friend indeed
Meaning: A true friend is one who helps you when you need it
36. Mind
your own business
Meaning: To not interfere in someone else’s matter
Example: Will you please mind your own business and stop telling me what to do?
37. Practice
what you preach
Meaning: Follow what you want others to follow
Example: You always tell us to reach early and yourself come late. You should
practice what you preach.
38. Rome
wasn’t built in a day
Meaning: Good work takes time
Example: It took him ten years to get to this position. Rome was not built in a
day.
39. Forgive
and forget
Meaning: Pardon and hold no resentment regarding a certain event
Example: What was done cannot be changed, so let’s just forgive and forget.
40. Two
wrongs don’t make a right
Meaning: Someone’s wrongful conduct is not a justification for acting in the
same way
41. Look
before you leap
Meaning: Act after considering the possible consequences
Example: It is always better to look before you leap.
42. Fortune
favours the bold
Meaning: Courageous actions are often rewarded
43. Out
of sight, out of mind
Meaning: People or things that are no longer present are easily forgotten
Example: The employees relaxed as soon as the boss left. Out of sight, out of
mind.
44. To
kill two birds with one stone
Meaning: Achieving two goals at once
Example: Using a cycle for exercise and transport is like killing two birds
with one stone.
45. Good
things come to those who wait
Meaning: Patience is rewarded
46. Great
minds think alike
Meaning: Intelligent people have similar ideas
47. Once
bitten, twice shy
Meaning: One unpleasant experience leads to caution
48. Money
doesn’t grow on trees
Meaning: It requires effort to earn money
Example: Don’t keep buying unnecessary things, money doesn’t grow on trees.
49. The
pen is mightier than the sword
Meaning: Written words are more effective than brute force
50. Birds
of a feather flock together
Meaning: One tends to stick together with similar minded people
51.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Meaning: We love the people who are not with us more in their absence
52.
A cat has nine lives
Meaning: Cats can survive the most fatal of accidents
53.
A drowning man will clutch at a straw
Meaning: If someone is in a difficult or tough situation, he/ she will grasp on
any available opportunity to improve it.
54.
A leopard doesn’t change its spots
Meaning: A person cannot change his/her innate character, especially the bad
aspects.
55.
All is well that ends well
Meaning: It doesn’t matter how many problems in the world as long as the result
is good.
56.
Among the blind the one-eyed man is king
Meaning: Even an incapable person can come to a powerful position if others in
the fray are even more incapable.
57.
An empty vessel makes much noise
Meaning: People who are stupid or foolish are the most talkative.
58.
A rolling stone gathers no moss
Meaning: A person who keeps changing his/her jobs always has the advantage of
fewer responsibilities and also the disadvantage of no particular place to
live.
59.
Cleanliness is next to Godliness
Meaning: Cleanliness is a good virtue. It is next to Godliness.
60.
Curiosity killed the cat
Meaning: You should never poke your nose in the business of others. It can be
dangerous.
61.
Practice what you preach
Meaning: Behave the way you encourage other people to behave.
62.
Rome wasn’t built in a day
Meaning: Important work takes time to complete.
63.
Ignorance is bliss
Meaning: If you don’t know about something, you don’t need to bother about it.
In other words, if you’re unaware of something, it won’t cause you stress.
64.
It’s better to be safe than sorry
Meaning: It’s better to be cautious than regret later
64.
It’s easy to be wise after the event
Meaning: It is easy to understand what you could have done to prevent something
bad from happening after it has happened.
65.
It’s never too late to mend
Meaning: It’s never too late to change your wrong ways or habits
66.
It’s not over till it’s over
Meaning: Till the event has completely played, you’re still in with a chance to
succeed
67.
It’s no use crying over spilled milk
Meaning: There is no point in being sad over things that have already happened
68.
Necessity is the mother of invention
Meaning: A need or problem forces people to come up with innovative solutions
69.
Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today
Meaning: Don’t delay doing something if you can do it immediately.
70.
Never test the depth of the water with both feet
Meaning: If you’re in the water with both feet down, you risk being swept away
by the currents. The message is: don’t put all your eggs in the same basket.
Think twice before placing all your bets and investments on one thing.
71.
No gain without pain
Meaning: It is necessary to suffer or work hard in order to succeed or make
progress.
72.
No news is good news
Meaning: If you don’t receive any news about someone or something, it means
that everything is fine and going normally.
73.
Once bitten twice shy
Meaning: You say this proverb when someone won’t do something a second time
because they had a bad experience the first time.
74.
One man’s junk is another man’s treasure
Meaning: What may seem to be junk to one person may be valuable to another
75.
One shouldn’t miss the forest for the trees
Meaning: Sometimes you get so focused on small details that you may miss the
larger context.
76.
The show must go on
Meaning: A performance, event, etc., must continue even though there are
problems
Example: The chairman died yesterday but the show must go on.
77.
The squeaky wheel gets the grease
Meaning: People who complain the most are the ones who get attention or what
they want.
78.
Time and tide wait for none
Meaning: You’ve no control over the passage of time; it’ll keep slipping. So
don’t procrastinate, don’t delay things.
79.
Too many cooks spoil the broth
Meaning: When too many people work together on a project, the result is
inferior
80.
Two heads are better than one
Meaning: Two persons have a better chance to solve a problem than one.
81. Where
there’s a will, there’s a way
Meaning: If you are determined enough, you can find a way to
achieve what you want, even if it is difficult.
82. Where
there’s smoke there’s fire
Meaning: If there are rumours or signs that something is true
so it must be at least partly true
83. Where one
door shuts, another opens
Meaning: When you lose an opportunity to do one thing, an
opportunity to do something else appears.
84. You can’t
always get what you want
Meaning: Sometimes you may face disappointments in your
pursuits or your wishes may not be fulfilled.
Example: X: I want a bike on my birthday. Y: Sorry, you can’t
always get what you want.
85. Out of
sight, out of mind
Meaning: If someone or something is not seen for a long time,
it’ll be forgotten.
Example: Many celebrities find a way to appear in the media because
they know that out of sight is out of mind.
86. Pen is
mightier than the sword
Meaning: Thinking and writing have more influence on people and
events than the use of force.
87. Its better
to be safe than sorry
Meaning: You should always take any necessary
precautions.
88. Better
late than never
Meaning: You are never too old to do something you want to
do.
89. Actions
speak louder than words
Meaning: What you do shows how you actually feel more
than what you say.
90. Don’t
judge a book by its cover
Meaning: Don’t judge people solely on their appearance.
91. Cleanliness
is next to godliness
Meaning: It’s very important to be clean.
92. The early
bird catches the worm
Meaning: People who act promptly will have more opportunities
available to them, and will ultimately be more successful.
93. Make the
best of a bad bargain.
Meaning: to deal with and create the best possible outcome of
a bad situation.
94. Desperate
times call for desperate measures.
Meaning: actions that might seem extreme under normal circumstances
are appropriate during adversity.
95. The calm
(comes) before the storm.
Meaning: turbulent times wait just around the corner when it
is calm.
96. A candle
loses nothing by lighting another candle.
Meaning: you don’t lose anything by enlightening others.
97. The
longest mile is the last mile home.
Meaning: It is always the end of something that feels the most
difficult.
98. Familiarity
breeds contempt.
Meaning: having extensive knowledge about someone or something
leads to a loss of respect for them or it.
99. If you
can’t beat them, join them.
Meaning: if someone is too strong for you to defeat, it is better
to be on the same side as them.
100. Variety is
the spice of life.
Meaning: new and existing experiences make life more
interesting.
101. Politics
makes strange bed fellows.
Meaning: Politics creates unholy alliances.
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