proverb · Traditional
Even the mighty eagle can’t soar higher than the stars.
An eagle unable to rise above the stars gives even impressive power a limit. The saying questions treating strength as unlimited.
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What does it mean?
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191 matching explanations
proverb · Traditional
Every cloud hath a silver lining.
A difficult situation may still contain something useful or hopeful. Looking for a benefit can help you respond without pretending that the difficulty is good.
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Every dog has his day.
Someone overlooked or unsuccessful may yet have a favourable moment. Present circumstances need not define every later opportunity, though a good turn is not guaranteed.
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Every dog has its day.
The saying gives every dog its day. It offers encouragement that someone overlooked may yet have an opportunity or success.
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Failure is not an option.
The saying excludes failure from the available options. It expresses determination or the importance a speaker places on success.
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Failures are but mileposts on the road to success.
The saying makes failures mileposts on a road to success. It gives setbacks a place within an ongoing attempt rather than treating them as its final meaning.
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Faint heart never won a fair lady.
The saying encourages courage in seeking a hoped-for relationship, but frames a woman as a prize to win. A constructive reading values honest initiative while rejecting conquest: another person’s consent, interest and freedom to decline remain essential.
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Faith will move mountains.
The saying makes faith move mountains. It represents belief as capable of facing something that seems overwhelmingly difficult.
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Fall seven times. Stand up eight.
The saying follows seven falls with eight rises. It urges renewed effort after setbacks through an exaggerated count.
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Fear is only temporary. Regrets last forever.
The saying contrasts temporary fear with everlasting regret. It encourages action by presenting hesitation as short-lived and missed opportunity as permanent.
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Fear is the thief of dreams.
Fear described as stealing dreams pictures an emotion interfering with hoped-for action. The saying draws attention to aims that may be abandoned through apprehension.
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Finite to fail, but infinite to venture.
The saying contrasts a finite failure with an infinite capacity to venture. In this qualified reading, one unsuccessful outcome need not exhaust every possible attempt.
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First step is the hardest.
The saying makes the first step the hardest. It emphasises the difficulty of beginning an unfamiliar undertaking.
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Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.
A person who does not understand the risks may act more boldly than someone who recognizes how difficult or delicate the situation is.
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Force, no matter how concealed, begets resistance.
Concealed force producing resistance links coercion with a possible response against it. The saying asks attention to power even when it is not openly displayed.
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Fortune favors the brave.
Fortune favouring the brave gives courage a possible advantage in pursuing an aim. The saying personifies a good outcome as choosing bold people.
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Fortune favours the bold.
The saying makes fortune favour bold people. It encourages initiative by linking courage with favourable results.
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Fortune favours the brave.
Decisive action can create opportunities that hesitation misses. Courage may help someone benefit from an opening, though it cannot control luck or guarantee success.
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Give a man luck, and throw him into the sea.
The saying exaggerates luck until it seems able to overcome even an extreme danger. It exposes confidence in favourable outcomes that ignores the actual situation.
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He can who believes he can.
The saying connects belief in one’s ability with being able to act. It offers confidence as encouragement toward an undertaking.
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He knocks boldly at the door who brings good news.
Delivering welcome news can make a person feel confident about approaching others. The expected response affects how readily someone speaks or asks for attention.
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He seems brave who is afraid to run away.
Apparent bravery caused by fear of running away contrasts a visible action with a possible hidden motive. The saying questions courage judged by appearance alone.
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He that endureth is not overcome.
Continuing through a difficulty can keep a person from treating it as final defeat. The saying values endurance, without proving that persistence guarantees success or that changing course means someone has failed.
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He that is thrown would ever wrestle.
A person who has lost may want another chance to prove themselves. The fallen wrestler pictures the urge to reverse a disappointing result.
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