proverb · Words worth keeping
Revenge is a dish that tastes better cold.
Revenge is a dish that tastes better cold.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Revenge compared with a dish better cold praises delay rather than immediate retaliation. The food image presents revenge as something to savour.
What the words are saying
A critical explanation describes the viewpoint without adopting a strategy for harming someone. Cold contrasts a delayed response with heated impulse, but the saying does not establish that retaliation is appropriate or satisfying. Reflecting before action can instead support a fair remedy, a boundary or a decision not to retaliate.
Everyday example
A reader recognises the delayed-retaliation image while choosing a nonharmful way to address the actual grievance.
When to use it
Use it critically to explain the metaphor rather than recommend revenge.
What it does not mean
No retaliation method or guarantee of satisfaction is supplied, and delay does not justify harm.
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
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 912; PDF page 127
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.