50 Proverbs in English with Meaning and Sentences

Proverbs are old sayings that enclose a nugget of wisdom packed in some words. Speakers mostly utter proverbs while advising, imparting knowledge, teaching or reinforcing morals, relieving interpersonal tensions, making an argument, consoling and inspiring others, and creating crisp in their funny discussion. We have compiled the most common English proverbs used worldwide, including Pakistan, along with their meanings and how to use them in sentences. Visit our website to make your English sound better by using proverbs in your daily life conversation.

List of Proverbs in English with Meaning and Sentences

Proverb	Sentence
Proverb	Blood is thicker than water
Meaning	Family relations are strongest
Sentence	Never ignore your blood relation because of your friends after all blood is thicker than water.
Proverb	It takes two to make a quarrel
Meaning	It’s the mistake of both parties whenever any issue starts, never blame only one party
Sentence	You must have done something wrong that’s why she is blaming you as it takes to two to make a quarrel
Proverb	Tit for tat
Meaning	Others will treat you in the same way as you do
Sentence	Remember the tit for tat rule before doing something wrong to someone.
Proverb	Do good have good
Meaning	If you treat others well, others will also treat you well
Sentence	If you want others to treat you well, treat them well. Do good, have good.
Proverb	Haste makes waste
Meaning	Doing something quickly makes more mistakes
Sentence	Don’t complete the project in a hurry because haste makes waste.
Proverb	Two hunts with one arrow
Meaning	To solve two issues at the same time in one go
Sentence	He is very clever, he always tries two hunts with one arrow.
Proverb	Union is strength
Meaning	Working in unity is more powerful
Sentence	It’s better to distribute larger projects among different people, union is strength.
Proverb	No one is a hero in his house
Meaning	People have no value in their home
Sentence	No matter how famous you are, no one is a hero in his house.
Proverb	A wish comes true
Meaning	To achieve what we dream of
Sentence	My paper is published, it’s just like a wish come true.
Proverb	More mouths will have more talks
Meaning	More people will talk more
Sentence	Don’t worry what others say, more mouths will have more talks
Proverb	The grass is always greener on the other side
Meaning	We always value something that is not in our excess
Sentence	Ahmad always thinks that grass is greener from the other side. He quit his job to get a job in another industry.
Proverb	Even the walls have ears
Meaning	Even if we think no one is listening still there maybe someone who is listening
Sentence	Please keep quiet, even the walls have ears.
Proverb	Casting pearls before swine
Meaning	To advise someone who doesn’t pay any heeds
Sentence	Don’t waste your time in advising him, it’s just like casting pearls before swine.
Proverb	Something is better than nothing
Meaning	It’s better to have something, instead of having nothing
Sentence	Please agree on the old bike, and don’t demand a new one; something is better than nothing.
Proverb	Prevention is better than cure
Meaning	Precautions are more powerful than treatment
Sentence	People run behind doctors, without even realizing that prevention is better than cure.
Proverb	To make a mountain of a molehill
Meaning	Exaggerating something
Sentence	People always make a mountain of a molehill without caring about others’ emotions.
Proverb	As long as there’s life there’s hope
Meaning	There is always a way out as long as we are alive
Sentence	Don’t worry about your injury, as long as there’s life there’s hope.
Proverb	Might is right
Meaning	Powerful person rules the world
Sentence	Unfortunately, the “might is right” rule is observed by all the higher authorities
Proverb	As you sow, so shall you reap
Meaning	The results of the future are the consequences of our present efforts
Sentence	Work hard unless you have to repent; as you sow, so shall you reap.
Proverb	Familiarity breeds contempt
Meaning	Visiting someone very often will decrease your value
Sentence	I don’t visit my sister very often because I know familiarity breeds contempt.
Proverb	Love is blind
Meaning	Whenever someone loves someone, he doesn’t care about anything
Sentence	He is jobless but she still loves him as the love is blind.
Proverb	Necessity is the mother of invention
Meaning	When you need something, you are forced to find a solution to it
Sentence	I realized the proverb “necessity is the mother of invention”, when I found a solution to mend my broken shoes on the road.
Proverb	Diamond cuts diamond
Meaning	Match can beat
Sentence	New Zealand and Pakistan’s match today is diamond cut diamond.
Proverb	To use available opportunity
Meaning	Take advantage of someone’s weakness
Sentence	Nowadays everyone tries to use available opportunity
Proverb	Traitors are the worst enemy
Meaning	Confidential give big loss
Sentence	Never tell your secrets even to your best friend because traitors are your worst enemy.
Proverb	Rod is the logic of a fool
Meaning	The obstinate don’t understand anything unless treated by rod
Sentence	No matter how politely you treat him, he will not listen to you because the rod is the logic of fools.
Proverb	To err is human
Meaning	To make mistake is human nature
Sentence	To err is human nature.
Proverb	A word to wise is enough
Meaning	A wise person can understand just by a clue
Sentence	You don’t have to explain everything in detail, a word to wise is enough
Proverb	To burn the candle at both ends
Meaning	To spend the money extravagantly
Sentence	The people who are born with a spoon in their mouth burn the candles at both ends
Proverb	A man is known by his company
Meaning	Your friend circle is the indication of your personality
Sentence	Always choose good friends because a man is known by his company
Proverb	Between the devil and the deep sea
Meaning	You are in a difficult situation and you have to choose an option from two unpleasant options
Sentence	I don’t have money and I can’t work because of my studies so I am between the devil and the sea about what to do.
Proverb	Where there is a will there is a way
Meaning	If you want something; Allah will make a way for you
Sentence	Don’t give up your research work; and don’t lose hope, where there is a will there’s away.
Proverb	Truth fears no examination
Meaning	A truthful person is not afraid of anything
Sentence	Don’t worry he is not telling a lie and truth fears no examination.
Proverb	Honesty is the best policy
Meaning	Honesty always pays you back
Sentence	Always be honest in your daily matter because honesty is the best policy
Proverb	There is something wrong with the bottom
Meaning	To seek for the hidden reason behind something
Sentence	Why is she treating me well out of a sudden, there is something wrong in the bottom
Proverb	Society molds man
Meaning	A person learns or expresses himself according to his environment
Sentence	Don’t allow your kids to play with naughty kids because society molds man
Proverb	All that glitter is not gold
Meaning	Everything that seems attractive is not always good
Sentence	I advised him to choose the freelancing projects wisely since all that glitter is not gold.
Proverb	Love begets love
Meaning	Love pays you back
Sentence	Women should treat their husbands politely because love begets love
Proverb	Pride hath a fall
Meaning	People who show off fails mostly
Sentence	Don’t show off your wealth; pride hath a fall
Proverb	Greed is curse
Meaning	Greed is not good
Sentence	Be content on less, greed is a curse.
Proverb	A bad workman always quarrels with his tools
Meaning	Inexperienced person blames sources
Sentence	He doesn’t know driving and blames his car, A bad workman always quarrels with his tools
Proverb	Beauty requires no paint
Meaning	Beautiful people don’t have to makeup
Sentence	No need to do heavy makeup; you always look nice; beauty requires no paint
Proverb	Expect no good in return
Meaning	Help others but don’t expect it in return and don’t let others know
Sentence	Expect no good in return if you help anyone
Proverb	A stitch in time saves nine
Meaning	It’s better to solve an issue in the beginning until it get worse
Sentence	Study hard unless you have to repent, a stitch in time saves nine
Proverb	An uninvited guest is never welcomed
Meaning	Intrusion into someone’s privacy
Sentence	It’s always necessary to keep yourself at a distance from your friend’s privacy; an uninvited guest is never welcomed
Proverb	If Allah wills not, no one can harm
Meaning	No one can harm you unless it’s in your luck
Sentence	Don’t worry about your enemies’ awful intentions; if Allah wills not no one can harm you
Proverb	Rubbing salt on one’s wounds
Meaning	Making the difficult situation worse for someone
Sentence	Please keep quiet; I am already worried, don’t rub salt on my wounds
Proverb	Grapes are sour
Meaning	People are used to hating something they can’t get
Sentence	Because she can’t pass the CSS; she doesn’t like CSS, grapes are sour
Proverb	To go about the same beaten path
Meaning	To follow the majority does not matter it’s wrong
Sentence	One of the major drawbacks of our society is; we always go about the same beaten path
Proverb	Self-praise is not a recommendation
Meaning	To admire yourself is not good
Sentence	You can test my expertise; I don’t want to show off; as self-praise is not a recommendation