Fortune favours the bold.
Fortune favours the bold.
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes fortune favour bold people. It encourages initiative by linking courage with favourable results.
Example
Someone considers a suitable opportunity and its limits before deciding whether to act.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Favours turns an uncertain outcome into a supportive figure. A qualified reading can discuss taking a suitable step without promising success or treating caution as failure. The supplied greater-success comparison is not ranking evidence, and taking a risk does not prove it was wise.
When to use it
Use it as qualified encouragement toward initiative.
Keep in mind
No measured success advantage or guaranteed reward for risk is established.
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 491; PDF page 72
Reuse and collection notes ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · supplied collection
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Contributor-confirmed reuse permission
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
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