Meaning & use
proverb
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Meaning
nouncountable
A short traditional saying, passed down over generations, that offers advice or states something people generally believe to be true.
Grammar: Countable: one proverb, many proverbs; often introduced with 'as the proverb says'.
Patterns
- a proverb about something
- the proverb says that...
My grandmother had a proverb for every situation, and her favorite was 'Slow and steady wins the race.'
There is an old proverb that says a stitch in time saves nine.
Many proverbs sound wise but contradict one another, such as 'Look before you leap' and 'He who hesitates is lost.'
Word forms
| plural | proverbs |
|---|
Common combinations
- an old proverb
- An old proverb warns against counting your chickens before they hatch.
- the proverb goes
- As the proverb goes, many hands make light work.
- a popular proverb
- It is a popular proverb in many countries that honesty is the best policy.
- a proverb says
- A proverb says that a friend in need is a friend indeed.
- quote a proverb
- He likes to quote a proverb whenever the team faces a setback.
Synonyms and how they differ
- saying
- Saying is a looser word that covers any familiar remark, while a proverb is specifically traditional and carries advice.
- adage
- Adage sounds a little more formal and stresses that the saying has been respected for a long time.
- maxim
- A maxim is a short rule of conduct and may come from a known writer, whereas proverbs are usually of unknown origin.
- saw
- Saw is an old-fashioned word for a proverb, often found in the phrase 'an old saw', and sounds rather dated.
Word family
- proverbial adjective
- well known as the subject of a proverb or saying
- proverbially adverb
- in the way a proverb describes
- Proverbs proper noun
- a book of the Bible made up of wise sayings
Commonly confused: proverb or idiom? proverb or quotation?
proverb vs idiom
An idiom is a fixed phrase whose meaning is not obvious from its words, like 'kick the bucket'. A proverb is a complete saying that gives advice or a general truth.
proverb vs quotation
A quotation is words taken from a particular speaker or writer, while a proverb belongs to a whole community.
Practice
'A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush' is best described as a ___.
Choose one answer.
It is a traditional saying giving practical advice, so it is a proverb. A quotation would need a named source, and 'proverbial' is an adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “proverb”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.