proverb · Words worth keeping
Every tide has its ebb.
Every tide has its ebb.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
A period of strength or abundance may recede. The ebb reminds the reader that a favourable condition need not remain at its peak.
What the words are saying
The changing tide supplies an image of decline after fullness. It can encourage planning for variation and humility during success. It should not be treated as a precise cycle for human affairs or a prediction that a particular loss must follow. A useful reading distinguishes what is known about changing conditions from an assumption that nature dictates the next event.
Everyday example
A group plans for quieter periods instead of assuming that unusually strong participation will stay constant.
When to use it
Use it to reflect on conditions that may rise and fall.
What it does not mean
The tide is a metaphor, not a timetable or forecast for a person’s fortunes.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or 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
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1617 · Tide
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English