A proverb is a short sentence that people often quote, which gives advice or tells you something about life.
An old Arab proverb says, 'The enemy of my enemy is my friend'.
Synonyms: saying, saw [old-fashioned], maxim, gnome More Synonyms of proverb
proverb in British English
(ˈprɒvɜːb)
noun
1.
a short, memorable, and often highly condensed saying embodying, esp with bold imagery, some commonplace fact or experience
2.
a person or thing exemplary in respect of a characteristic
Antarctica is a proverb for extreme cold
3. ecclesiastical
a wise saying or admonition providing guidance
verb(transitive)
4.
to utter or describe (something) in the form of a proverb
5.
to make (something) a proverb
Word origin
C14: via Old French from Latin prōverbium, from verbum word
proverb in American English
(ˈprɑvərb)
noun
1.
a short, traditional saying that expresses some obvious truth or familiar experience; adage; maxim
2.
a person or thing that has become commonly recognized as a type of specified characteristics; byword
3. Bible
an enigmatic saying in which a profound truth is cloaked
verb transitive
4. Archaic
to make a proverb or byword of
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈsaying
Word origin
OFr proverbe < L proverbium < pro-, pro-2 + verbum, word: see verb
Examples of 'proverb' in a sentence
proverb
`Let's change the old proverb ," said Adam, `from `A ruse is worth a tribe" to `A ruse is worth almost anything".
Shah, Idries KARA KUSH (2002)
Every man's personal proverb about himself is: "Whatever is, is right, in the best of all possible people.
George Cockcroft THE DICE MAN (2002)
In other languages
proverb
British English: proverb /ˈprɒvɜːb/ NOUN
A proverb is a short sentence that people often quote, which gives advice or tells you something about life. For example, `A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.'
An old proverb says, `The enemy of my enemy is my friend'.
American English: proverb
Arabic: مَثَل
Brazilian Portuguese: provérbio
Chinese: 谚语
Croatian: poslovica
Czech: přísloví
Danish: talemåde
Dutch: gezegde
European Spanish: refrán
Finnish: sananlasku
French: proverbe
German: Sprichwort
Greek: παροιμία
Italian: proverbio
Japanese: ことわざ
Korean: 격언
Norwegian: ordspråk
Polish: przysłowie
European Portuguese: provérbio
Romanian: proverb
Russian: пословица
Latin American Spanish: refrán
Swedish: ordspråk
Thai: สุภาษิต
Turkish: atasözü
Ukrainian: прислів'я
Vietnamese: tục ngữ
Chinese translation of 'proverb'
proverb
(ˈprɔvəːb)
n(c)
谚(諺)语(語) (yànyǔ) (条(條), tiáo)
(noun)
Definition
a short memorable saying that expresses a truth or gives a warning, for example is half a loaf is better than no bread
the old proverb `where there's a will, there's a way`
Synonyms
saying
that old saying: `Charity begins at home'
saw (old-fashioned)
maxim
I believe in the maxim `if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.
gnome
adage
The old adage `Every baby brings its own love' usually turns out true.
dictum
the dictum that it is preferable to be roughly right than precisely wrong
aphorism
one of his favoured aphorisms
byword
Loyalty, support, and secrecy became the bywords of the day.
apophthegm
Additional synonyms
in the sense of adage
Definition
a traditional saying that is generally accepted as being true
The old adage `Every baby brings its own love' usually turns out true.
Synonyms
saying,
motto,
maxim,
proverb,
dictum,
precept,
by-word,
saw (old-fashioned),
axiom,
aphorism,
apophthegm (rare)
in the sense of aphorism
Definition
a short clever saying expressing a general truth
one of his favoured aphorisms
Synonyms
saying,
maxim,
gnome,
adage,
proverb,
dictum,
precept,
axiom,
apothegm,
saw
in the sense of byword
Definition
a common saying
Loyalty, support, and secrecy became the bywords of the day.
Synonyms
saying,
slogan,
motto,
maxim,
gnome,
adage,
proverb,
epithet,
dictum,
precept,
aphorism,
saw (old-fashioned),
apophthegm
Nearby words of
proverb
proven
provenance
provender
proverb
proverbial
provide
provide for or against something
Synonyms of 'proverb'
proverb
Explore 'proverb' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of dictum
Definition
a popular saying or maxim
the dictum that it is preferable to be roughly right than precisely wrong
Synonyms
saying,
saw (old-fashioned),
maxim,
adage,
proverb,
precept,
axiom,
gnome
in the sense of maxim
Definition
a brief expression of a general truth, principle, or rule of conduct
I believe in the maxim `if it ain't broke, don't fix it'.