60 Proverbs in English for Students

What is a proverb?

A proverb is usually a short saying that gives someone some advice. Some of them are pretty straightforward and relatively easy to understand. Some of them seem to make no sense (but that’s where we come in). The more you hear proverbs used in context, the more you’ll grasp their meaning.

60 proverbs in English for students to learn

1. Out of the frying pan, into the fire.

This refers to someone going from one bad situation to an even worse one. For example, if you leave one job because you don’t like it for a new job, you hate it even more.

1. The proof of the pudding is in the eating.

This means you only know what something is like after you’ve tried it. So, for example, if you say, ‘I don’t think this meal will be very nice!’. Someone could appropriately respond, ‘the proof of the pudding is in the eating.’ You won’t know until you’ve tried it.

1. Don’t cry over spilled milk.

This proverb tells people not to get upset over mistakes. What’s done is done, essentially.

1. Look before you leap.

This proverb is about always being cautious and not just diving straight into things without knowing anything.

1. Every cloud has a silver lining.

This proverb suggests that even in bad things, good things come out of them.

1. Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

This proverb is all about people being hypocritical. It means that you shouldn’t judge people for faults or failings that you have.

1. One good turn deserves another.

This proverb is all about repaying favors. If someone does something nice for you or a ‘good turn,’ you should do something nice back, so they deserve another ‘good turn.’

1. Actions speak louder than words.

This one is self-explanatory and straightforward- it’s easier to say things than to follow through and do them. I could become prime minister tomorrow (watch out, world) and promise every person in the country free chocolate for life (we can all dream). But doing that, and seeing through that promise, means a lot more than actually saying it.

1. There’s no such thing as a free lunch.

This means that sometimes, people aren’t just doing things to be friendly, like giving you a free lunch. Sometimes, when people do these things, they want something in return (a rather pessimistic outlook on life, if we’re honest).

1. Half a loaf is better than no bread.

This proverb essentially means that something is better than nothing. For example, for your birthday, you might ask for two birthday cakes (because there is no such thing as too much cake), but you might only get one. But one cake is better than not having any cake, or half a loaf is better than no bread.

1. Time and tide wait for no man.

This proverb means that, as much as we may want to sometimes, we can’t stop time. And nothing that we do can prevent time from going on.

1. Practice makes perfect.

A simple proverb- the more you practice at something, the better you get! (Usually, though, tell that to my old violin teacher- yikes.)

1. A rolling stone gathers no moss.

A rolling stone refers to someone who doesn’t settle in one place. Because of this, they won’t acquire any wealth or status, but they also won’t have any responsibilities.

1. Pride goes before a fall.

This refers to people who become too arrogant or confident in themselves. It’s a warning to people that when you feel untouchable, that’s usually the time when you fail and trip up or fall. So don’t become too arrogant because it may lead to failure.

1. Robbing Peter to pay Paul.

This means there’s no point in giving to one thing if it means taking from another. This saying is mainly used for money or debt. There’s no point using the money from one obligation to pay another because, in the end, you’re no better off and will still be in debt.

1. Out of sight, out of mind.

This saying means that if you can’t see something, you don’t have to think about it. Although it’s not necessarily true, it can describe people who forget about friends or family members they don’t see often.

1. The truth will be out.

This means that, no matter what happens, the truth will always come out in the end. This can often be said to someone to comfort them when someone is lying about something that’s happened when you know the truth. Likewise, someone may say that ‘the truth will come out’ to reassure you that people will see the truth of what happened in the end and not worry.

1. Still, the waters run deep.

This can be used to refer to people who are quiet or shy, suggesting that underneath that shyness, they’re very intelligent or passionate.

1. All work and no play make Jack a dull boy.

This proverb reminds people that we all need time off. If we’re always working, we become bored and bored.

1. What’s worth doing is worth doing well.

Pretty self-explanatory this one- if you’re going to do something, you might as well go to the extra effort to do it well. For example, if you’re going to the trouble of doing your homework, there’s no point in not putting any effort into it. You might as well try if you’re going to do anything at all.

1. Grasp all, lose all.

This is a warning to people about not being too greedy. If you try holding onto too much, you’ll drop everything.

1. Hunger is the best sauce.

When you’re starving, everything tastes good. (Maybe even brussel sprouts, but also, maybe not.)

1. You can’t have your cake and eat it too.

This proverb advises people that they can’t have something in two ways. For example, you might want to wait until the new game you’re after is out to spend your birthday money. But you might also want to spend your birthday money on a new pair of shoes. But you can’t have it two ways, or you can’t have your cake and eat it too.

1. You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.

This saying is all about how difficult it can be to change the habits and attitudes of people. If someone has done something or thought something for a long time, it can be hard to change that (but not impossible!).

1. A leopard can’t change its spots.

This saying refers to the fact that some people think people don’t change. Whatever your personality and character, especially if it’s terrible, you can’t change it.

1. Let sleeping dogs lie.

This proverb refers to problems and issues. If something is in the past, or if something is not causing any problems, don’t bring something up or interfere that may result in an issue. If something isn’t causing an issue, don’t make it into one.

1. You scratch my back; I’ll scratch yours.

This proverb is all about granting favors. It essentially means, ‘if you do this thing for me, then I’ll do something that you want in return.’

1. Blood is thicker than water.

This saying refers to the family. It means that family is the most important thing above anything else, like friendship or love.

1. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

This usually describes a situation where someone is accused of doing something wrong. It means that there’s probably a good reason if they’re charged.

1. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

This proverb claims that it doesn’t go well when too many people are involved in something, like cooking. Although teamwork is excellent, the idea is that it might ruin it when too many people’s opinions are concerned.

1. No news is good news.

This advice is often a comfort to people waiting to hear back about something but hasn’t heard anything yet. If you haven’t heard anything wrong, you can assume everything is good until you hear something contrary.

1. It’s the tip of the iceberg.

This refers to a much bigger situation than it may have seemed at first. It uses the iceberg analogy because an iceberg is often much bigger underwater than what is seen on the surface. If something is ‘the tip of the iceberg,’ it’s only one small part of a much bigger issue.

1. Waste not, want not.

This one is about persuading people not to waste things because they might need them in the future.

1. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.

This refers to people constantly feeling jealous of what they don’t have. The grass is always greener. On the other side, it says you will always want what you don’t have.

1. Don’t judge a book by its cover.

This proverb is mainly applied to people, advising people that they shouldn’t judge a person, or anything, by the way that it looks. Like we shouldn’t judge the quality of a book by the way its cover looks.

1. Strike while the iron’s hot.

This proverb is all about taking on opportunities. It essentially says that when something presents itself, jump onto it straight away or strike while the iron’s hot.

1. When in Rome, do as the Romans do.

This proverb is about fitting in and following those around you in an unknown situation. If you’re in another country or an unfamiliar setting, do what the people around you are doing.

1. Many hands make light work.

This proverb describes how when lots of people help out, a task is completed quicker and easier.

1. Don’t cross the bridge until you come to it.

This proverb advises that you shouldn’t worry about a situation until facing it. There’s no point getting stressed over a problem that hasn’t happened yet- wait until there is a problem, and then deal with it.

1. Where there’s a will, there’s a way.

This proverb refers to the fact that when people are motivated to accomplish something, they’ll usually find a way. This can be a tremendous motivating proverb when a task seems challenging. It tries to reassure people that if you want to find a way, you’ll be able to.

1. Beggars can’t be choosers.

This proverb says you can’t afford to be picky when you don’t have many options available.

1. The early bird catches the worm.

This proverb advocate for being early for things, saying that if you’re early, you’re more likely to achieve what you want.

1. The cat is out of the bag.

This refers to when something has been revealed that people weren’t previously aware of. So, for example, if you were planning a surprise for someone and someone else accidentally told them, you could say that they ‘let the cat out of the bag.’

1. Better late than never.

This proverb states it is better to do something late or arrive somewhere late than never to do it.

1. A bad workman always blames his tools.

This proverb describes a person who does something badly, and then instead of blaming it on themselves, their failure or lack of skill will blame their tools or something beyond their control.

1. The pen is mightier than the sword.

This proverb states that what you can do with a pen, so good communication and the power of language, can have more of an effect than a sword or what you can do through violence.

1. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.

This proverb advises people not to treat badly the people that have helped them. For example, if someone helps you get a job, and then you badmouth them to the company, someone could say that you’re ‘biting the hand that feeds you’ because you’re ungrateful to the person who helped you.

1. Fortune favors the bold.

This saying is all about advising people to be brave and to go for things because you always miss opportunities that you don’t go for. Being brave often leads to success

1. Never look a gift horse in the mouth.

This means that if someone gives you a gift, don’t question it and don’t find fault in it.

1. A watched pot never boils.

This proverb is all about advising people to be patient. If you’re sitting waiting for something to happen, time passes a lot slower. So it’s best to distract yourself and get on with something else.