Home › Proverbs

Little birds may peck a dead lion.

Meaning: Even the weakest creatures gain power when facing something already defeated or in decline.

Origin: From 'A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases' (1870). Public domain.

More proverbs about Wisdom

  • One may see day at a little hole. — Even minimal openings to truth or knowledge suffice; darkness yields to the smallest ligh…
  • Little minds, like weak liquors, are soon soured. — Petty intellects curdle quickly under pressure, while robust minds ferment into something…
  • It's not how long, but how well, we live. — Quality of life matters more than its duration; meaningful living trumps mere longevity.
  • The longest liver dies at last. — Everyone eventually faces mortality, regardless of how long they manage to live.
  • He that lives not well one year sorrows for it seven. — Poor choices compound over time; a year of vice breeds seven years of regret and conseque…
  • He liveth long that liveth well. — Living virtuously extends life's value beyond mere years; quality of conduct outlasts qua…

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…