Do not wear out your welcome.
Do not wear out your welcome.
Meaning in plain English
Wearing out a welcome compares hospitality with something that can be exhausted. It asks a guest to consider when their presence has become burdensome.
Example
A guest checks whether the agreed visit length still suits the host and discusses any needed change.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The supplied gloss distinguishes length of stay from frequency of visits. A useful reading considers the host’s stated needs and the shared arrangement rather than guessing at resentment. Welcome is contextual, and the image does not make needing shelter or support a moral failing.
When to use it
Use it to discuss hospitality, duration and mutual expectations.
Keep in mind
No fixed visit limit is established, and needing support does not itself make a person unwelcome.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 829; PDF page 117
Reuse and collection notes ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · supplied collection
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
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