Do you know the definition of proverbial? This article will provide you with all of the information you need on the word proverb, including its definition, etymology, usage, example sentences, and more!
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According to the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language and other sources like Collins English Dictionary and American Heritage, the word proverbial is an adjective that means well known. This comes from the word proverb, which means a phrase that is frequently used, often a metaphorical one. This known phrase is often used in a particular situation. Proverbial is four syllables – pro-ver-bi-al, and the pronunciation of proverbial is prəvɜːʳbiəl. The suffix ly can be added to proverbial (adj.) to form proverbially (adv.). This word comes from the Latin word proverbium.
Many things can be proverbial, including proverbial sayings, proverbial wisdom, a proverbial fable, proverbial hits, proverbial phrases, proverbial brevity, a proverbial fairy tale, a proverbial barn door, proverbial inability to do something, proverbial dizzy blonde, proverbial grasshopper, proverbial straw, proverbial lateness, a proverbial main street, a proverbial groin and testicles, proverbial bucket, proverbial expression, proverbial absentminded professor, proverbial three-hour tour, proverbial chickens, proverbial blancmange, proverbial left bank feel, proverbial strength of the sea, proverbial robin, a last child of a proverbial nuclear family in 1950s suburbia, the proverbial perceived truth, proverbial popularity, proverbial formulaic language and more.
There are a plethora of different proverbs you may hear frequently. See how many common saying phrases you know from this list from My English Teacher. A traditional saying like this is often used in the genre of folklore sinc eht familiar saying is an object of common mention and a characteristic of a proverb is that people know it.
Don’t talk the talk if you can’t walk the walk
An answer when mild turns away rage
Crime doesn’t pay
Practice makes perfect
The straw that broke the camel’s back
Practice what you preach
Money doesn’t grow on trees
Failing to plan is planning to fail
Don’t place all your eggs in one basket
Beggars can’t be choosers
Enjoy it while it lasts
Laughter is the best medicine
Many hands make light work
Love of money is the root of all evil
Two heads are better than one
Too many cooks spoil the broth
What’s done is done
Forgive and forget
A friend in need is a friend indeed
Better late than never
Better safe than sorry
Patience is a virtue
Easy come, easy go
Count the cost
Honesty is the best policy
Great minds think alike
Look before you leap
Don’t judge a book by its cover
Once bitten, twice shy
You cannot serve two masters
Mind your own business
Money is the root of all evil
Haste makes waste
The early bird catches the worm
No pain, no gain
Misery loves company
First things first
You reap what you sow
A picture speaks a thousand words / A picture is worth a thousand words
Measure twice, cut one
Where there is no wood, the fire goes out
Don’t bite the hand that feeds you
Necessity is the mother of invention
It never rains, but it pours
Love is blind
Don’t count your chickens before they hatch
Anyone inexperienced puts faith in every word, but the shrewd one considers his steps
Seeing is believing
Two wrongs don’t make right
Early in the year, early in the month, early in the week, early in the day
Do to others as you would have them do to you
When in Rome, do as the Romans do
Actions speak louder than words
It’s a small world
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder
Hope for the best, prepare for the worst
Leave no stone unturned
Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself
Time is money
An apple a day keeps the doctor away
Lie down with dogs, wake up with fleas
You can take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink
Opportunity seldom knocks twice
If you snooze, you lose
Many different languages also contain their own words for the word proverbial. You may notice that some of these translations of proverbial look and sound similar to the word proverb. These are called cognates, which are often formed when two words have the same root or language of origin. This list of translations of proverbial is provided by Word Sense.
Czech: příslovečný (masc.)
Welsh: diarhebol
Latin: prōverbiālis
Finnish: sananlaskumainen
German: sprichwörtlich, proverbial
Greek: παροιμιακός
What are synonyms of proverbial?
There are many different words that have the same meaning as the word proverbial. These are called synonyms, which are very useful to know if you are trying to expand your English language vocabulary or avoid repeating yourself. This list of synonyms of proverbial is provided by Power Thesaurus.
prominent
well known
common
known
pithy
iconic
recognised
archetypal
infamous
hackneyed
legendary
ordinary
household
general
well-known
acknowledged
familiar
famous
exemplary
time-honored
famed
everyday
axiomatic
apothegmatic
aphoristic
homiletic
public
illustrious
plain
notorious
renowned
self-evident
conservative
acceptable
well established
classic
broad
terse
bog-standard
prosaic
according to the book
by the numbers
authorized
average
authorised
archconservative
unquestioned
widely known
sententious
ascertained
authoritative
succinct
received
congruous
stock
confirmed
across the board
trite
usual
bien pensant
pungent
admitted
cautious
adopted
regular
well-established
canonical
buttoned-down
classical
commutual
brassbound
careful
routine
collective
approved
acquired
circumspect
popular
accustomed
button-down
correct
conformist
celebrated
accepted
pointed
recognized
apophthegmatic
commonplace
customary
moralistic
epigrammatic
saying
traditional
obvious
noted
conventional
gnomic
generally known
typical
current
Overall, the word proverbial means well known. This is often the subject of a proverb.
Kevin Miller is a growth marketer with an extensive background in Search Engine Optimization, paid acquisition and email marketing. He is also an online editor and writer based out of Los Angeles, CA. He studied at Georgetown University, worked at Google and became infatuated with English Grammar and for years has been diving into the language, demystifying the do's and don'ts for all who share the same passion! He can be found online here.
Kevin
October 24, 2021
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