Home › Proverbs

The tide will fetch away what the ebb brings.

Meaning: Fortunes gained easily through circumstance will inevitably be lost when conditions reverse.

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

More proverbs about Challenge

  • Set trees poor, and they will grow rich; set them rich, and they will grow poor. — Excessive initial resources weaken plants' root development, while hardship forces them t…
  • Use the means, and God will give the blessing. — Diligent effort and practical action create the conditions where fortunate outcomes can n…
  • The vicar of Bray will be vicar of Bray still. — A pragmatist adapts his principles to survive whoever holds power, ensuring his position…
  • Make the vine poor, and it will make you rich. — Pruning grapevines severely forces them to concentrate resources into fewer, higher-quali…
  • Vows made in storms are forgotten in calms. — Emotional commitments pledged during crisis dissolve once danger passes and circumstances…
  • War, hunting, and law, are as full of trouble as pleasure. — Life's most engaging pursuits inevitably mix hardship with satisfaction, demanding we acc…

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…