proverb · Words worth keeping
Hunger will break through stone walls.
Hunger will break through stone walls.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An urgent unmet need can make a seemingly formidable barrier feel surmountable. Hunger breaking stone walls is an exaggerated picture of desperation or determination.
Example
Someone facing an urgent shortage tries several overlooked ways of asking for assistance.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The wall represents an obstacle that ordinarily appears solid and difficult to pass. Hunger is given the force to break it, showing how a pressing need can change someone’s willingness to act. The saying can explain unusual persistence or challenge an assumption that a barrier alone will settle a problem. It is not praise for deprivation or permission to ignore another person’s rights. A careful use considers the unmet need and possible constructive responses instead of admiring the hardship that produced the pressure.
When to use it
Use it to recognise the force of a pressing need behind determined action.
Keep in mind
Need does not guarantee success or justify every action taken in response.
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