proverb · Words worth keeping
Don’t boast until you see your enemy dead.
Don’t boast until you see your enemy dead.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying postpones boasting until an enemy is dead. As an explicit analogy, it warns against claiming victory before the threat has actually ended.
Example
A team waits for confirmation that a problem is resolved rather than celebrating an apparent early advantage.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The severe image makes the ending absolute. A responsible wider application can concern premature confidence without endorsing harm or literal killing. The source words do not establish an actual enemy, conflict or reliable test of completion.
When to use it
Use it as a qualified warning about premature claims of victory.
Keep in mind
The violent image is not endorsed as an instruction or proof that a threat has ended.
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