proverb · Words worth keeping
Words are like weights, gravity gives them effect.
Words are like weights, gravity gives them effect.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Words gain effect when supported by seriousness and substance. The weight image connects the force of speech with what gives it credibility.
What the words are saying
Gravity gives words weight, suggesting that their manner and basis affect how they are received. It can encourage thoughtful speech rather than empty display. A solemn tone does not make an unsupported claim true, and playful language can carry insight. A useful reading asks what evidence, conduct or responsibility stands behind the statement instead of treating a serious delivery as sufficient authority.
Everyday example
A speaker explains a claim with clear evidence instead of relying on a solemn voice to make it convincing.
When to use it
Use it to consider the substance supporting a statement’s impact.
What it does not mean
Serious tone is not proof of truth or expertise.
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
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1836 · Words
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English