Pride goes before a fall
Pride goes before a fall means that being too sure of yourself can lead to failure or humiliation; it comes from a warning in the biblical Book of Proverbs. Today, it often describes someone whose boasting or overconfidence leaves them unprepared for a setback.
Where it comes from
The biblical warning
The saying comes from Proverbs 16:18, which links pride and an arrogant attitude with destruction and a fall. The familiar phrase is a shortened form of that warning, not its exact wording.
A related story in The Bible shows Nebuchadnezzar boasting about Babylon and his royal power. He then loses his reason and lives apart from human society until he acknowledges God's authority.
In The Bible by Various authors
What it means now
Today, the phrase warns against letting confidence turn into arrogance. The fall may be a public embarrassment, a failed plan, or a painful correction.
In Pride and Prejudice, Darcy proposes to Elizabeth while making his objections to her family plain. Her refusal overturns his expectation that she will accept him.
In Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
How to use Pride goes before a fall
- Use it when arrogance helps cause a setback.
- Show the link between overconfidence and the mistake.
- Avoid using it to mock someone who is already suffering.
Is Pride goes before a fall an exact Bible quotation?
No, it is a shortened version of the warning in Proverbs 16:18. That verse connects pride with destruction and an arrogant spirit with a fall. The everyday saying keeps the central lesson but compresses the wording.
Does it mean that all pride is bad?
No, the saying warns against arrogance rather than ordinary satisfaction in doing something well. It fits someone who ignores advice, looks down on others, or assumes success is certain. Quiet confidence and pleasure in a real achievement are different.
Related terms
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