There are more threatened than struck.

Understand the thought

Meaning in plain English

Threats do not always become actions. The saying distinguishes an announced harm from its fulfilment but offers no reliable measure of the danger in a particular case.

What the words are saying

The comparison suggests that hostile words are often more numerous than actual blows. It can describe bluff or the gap between speech and action. A careful reading must not dismiss a threat merely because earlier threats were not carried out. The circumstances and available evidence matter, and protection may be appropriate before harm occurs. No frequency estimate is established by the proverb itself.

Everyday example

A group takes a threatening message seriously and seeks appropriate support instead of assuming it is harmless because it consists of words.

When to use it

Use it to distinguish a threat from an event without ignoring the threat’s significance.

Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or earliest origin.