pride comes before a fall

English

Alternative forms

• pride cometh before a fall, pride goes before a fall, pride goeth before a fall, pride wenteth before a fall

Etymology

Probably from:

• 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Book of Proverbs, 16:18,

  Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverb

pride comes before a fall

1. A person who is extremely proud of his or her abilities will often suffer a setback or failure, because he or she tends to be overconfident and to make errors of judgment.

See also

• hamartia
• hubris

Translations

Translations

Czech: pýcha předchází pád (cs) Dutch: hoogmoed komt voor de val (nl) Finnish: ylpeys käy lankeemuksen edellä (fi)

German: Hochmut kommt vor dem Fall (de) Icelandic: (haughtiness is closest to failure) dramb er falli næst (is)