proverb · Legacy record
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying contrasts bodily injury from sticks and stones with a claim that words cannot hurt. It offers defiance against insults through an absolute denial.
What the words are saying
Never makes the reassurance categorical. A responsible reading can value refusing an insult’s judgment without dismissing the distress words may cause. The phrase does not establish that verbal harm is unreal or that someone should endure repeated humiliation without support.
Everyday example
A friend rejects an insulting label while taking the affected person’s distress seriously.
When to use it
Use it as a resilience expression with its denial of harm qualified.
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What it does not mean
Words can matter; the saying should not minimise distress or excuse verbal mistreatment.
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 114; PDF page 20
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.