proverb · Words worth keeping
A bad excuse is better than none at all.
A bad excuse is better than none at all.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An inadequate explanation may seem preferable to offering none. The proverb values some response over silence, but a bad excuse can also mislead or weaken trust; it is not permission to invent a justification.
Example
A volunteer who missed a delivery says they lost track of the agreed date and helps rearrange it, rather than inventing an interruption to make the mistake seem unavoidable.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The saying compares a weak excuse with no excuse at all, giving the speaker a reason to say something. Read critically, it can describe an attempt to account for a failure even when the response does not satisfy those affected. What matters is whether the account is honest and useful, not merely whether words have been supplied. A truthful admission of uncertainty or responsibility may serve better than a polished pretext. The proverb’s better is therefore open to question in a particular case. Offering an explanation does not by itself address the effects or remove the need for repair.
When to use it
Use it when discussing whether an offered excuse actually helps explain and address a failure.
Keep in mind
Do not invent reasons; an honest admission can be more useful than a misleading excuse.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English