Wit ill applied is a dangerous weapon.

Meaning: Clever words wielded carelessly inflict harm deeper than intended, making intelligence without judgment destructive.

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

More proverbs about Communication

• An honest man's word is as good as his bond. — Integrity without documentation suffices; trustworthy character renders formal guarantees…
• Words are like weights, gravity gives them effect. — Heavy words gain power through the seriousness of their context and the consequences they…
• A word is enough to the wise. — The wise person needs only minimal guidance to understand and act on good advice.
• Words spoken in an evening the wind carrieth away. — Careless evening talk dissolves into irrelevance like dispersed wind, so thoughtless word…
• Fair words will not keep a cat from starving. — Flattery and pleasant speech cannot substitute for concrete necessities like food and sur…
• Good words cool more than cold water. — Kind speech soothes anger and distress more effectively than external comfort ever could.

← Back to Proverbs

Loading the full interactive collection…