Repute hangs a man.
Repute hangs a man.
Meaning in plain English
Reputation can bring serious consequences before conduct is fairly examined. Separate what is repeated about a person from evidence about what they actually did.
Example
A club checks a complaint and hears the member’s account instead of expelling them because an old rumour has resurfaced.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
The hanging image makes the power of reputation look stark and dangerous. A name attached to a rumour can become enough for others to impose a punishment or exclusion. In an everyday reading, the saying questions decisions made from hearsay, inherited labels or a familiar story. Ask what evidence supports the charge and whether the person can answer it. Reputation may contain useful information, but repeating an accusation does not independently establish it. The consequence in the image is a warning, not an endorsement.
When to use it
Use it to question serious decisions made from reputation alone.
Keep in mind
Do not use the saying to dismiss substantiated reports or demand that someone ignore a genuine risk.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- A Polyglot of Foreign Proverbs (1857)
Printed page 31; French section, paragraph 625; source wording: Le bruit pend l’homme.
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 ↗