Grasp all, lose all.
Grasp all, lose all.
Meaning in plain English
Trying to take or control everything can put what you already have at risk. Consider whether an excessive demand is making a workable arrangement less secure.
Example
A group agrees a fair shared use of a room rather than demanding every available date and losing a workable arrangement with the other users.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The paired all makes the contrast stark: an attempt to seize everything ends with nothing retained. Figuratively, someone may overextend a commitment, demand an unfair share or refuse a workable compromise because it offers less than the maximum. The saying does not prove that every ambitious aim will fail or that people should accept inadequate treatment. The useful distinction is between pursuing a justified purpose and making an arrangement collapse through an excessive claim. Assess what is actually possible and what would be lost if the attempt fails, rather than letting the desire for a complete victory answer every practical question.
When to use it
Use it when an excessive claim threatens an otherwise workable outcome.
Keep in mind
Ambition and justified demands are not inherently excessive; a compromise still needs to be fair.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 717 · Grasp
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 ↗