proverb · Words worth keeping
A face that never laughs betrays an evil heart.
A face that never laughs betrays an evil heart.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying treats a face that never laughs as revealing an evil heart. It makes an adverse moral judgment from outward expression.
What the words are saying
A responsible explanation identifies this inference as unreliable rather than endorsing it. People may not laugh for many reasons, and visible expression does not establish moral character. The supplied betrayal gloss describes a different saying and must not be substituted for these words or used to blame a person who was betrayed.
Everyday example
A reader questions the leap from an unsmiling expression to a claim of evil rather than judging someone’s character that way.
When to use it
Use it critically to examine an appearance-based moral stereotype.
What it does not mean
Not laughing proves neither evil nor guilt, and the supplied betrayal gloss is unrelated to this image.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 920; PDF page 128
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.