Look before you leap.
Look before you leap.
Meaning in plain English
Think about likely consequences before taking an important step. Checking the risks and your options can prevent a hasty decision that is difficult to reverse.
Example
Before accepting a flat, a tenant reads the repair obligations and visits the area at night rather than relying only on the photographs.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
A leap can commit you before you know where you will land. The proverb turns that physical image into advice about decisions: gather relevant information and consider what happens next before acting. It is especially useful when the consequences are substantial or the decision cannot easily be undone. Looking does not mean waiting for complete certainty or finding an excuse never to move. It means taking a proportionate pause so that enthusiasm, pressure or fear does not replace judgement.
When to use it
Use it before a consequential commitment or an impulsive response.
Keep in mind
Too much deliberation can also cost an opportunity; the pause should fit the stakes.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 989 · Look
Read the original context ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · historical anthology
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Public domain (United States)
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗