A good name is sooner lost than won.
A good name is sooner lost than won.
Meaning in plain English
A reputation may take sustained conduct to establish and can be damaged quickly. The saying draws attention to the uneven pace of earning trust and losing it, without treating every accusation as proof.
Example
A reliable organiser acknowledges a missed promise promptly instead of inventing an excuse.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The good name is the regard other people attach to someone’s conduct. Winning it suggests a history of actions, while losing it suggests how a single event can change public judgment. The proverb encourages care with commitments and honesty because trust is often easier to disturb than to rebuild. It also exposes a vulnerability: reputation can be harmed by rumour or unfair standards as well as by misconduct. A damaged name does not settle the truth about a person. The useful reading asks both for responsible behaviour and for restraint in judging others from a dramatic report or isolated mistake.
When to use it
Use it when discussing the care required to maintain trust.
Keep in mind
An accusation or mistake does not define a person’s whole character.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Dictionary of Quotations (1893)
Printed citation: Pr. · page_006
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗