The worth of a thing is best known by the want of it
It is only when we have been deprived of something that we appreciate the true value of it. One illustration of this is, of course, the other... Read more →
Proverbs containing the word Want
A thing you don’t want is dear at any price
If you don't want an article, however cheap it may be, it is dear because it is useless to you. This is a warning against the temptation to buy... Read more →
The more you have, the more you want
We are never satisfied with what we have. When we satisfy one want, it merely makes us aware of another. And so it goes on.
An ill payer never wants an excuse
Here 'wants' means 'lacks'. A man who keeps his creditors waiting always has an excuse ready for not paying their bills.
If you want peace, prepare for war
By arming itself to meet aggression, a country reduces the risk of being attacked. George Washington said in his address to Congress on January... Read more →
If you want a thing well done, do it yourself
This is good advice up to a point, yet an employer who does not delegate authority because he does not trust his staff to carry out his... Read more →
He that hath a full purse never wanted a friend
Here 'wanted' means 'lacked. A similar proverb is Success has many friends. Because a man is rich, he is always surrounded by flatterers and... Read more →
He is rich that has few wants
A person who has few wants can easily satisfy them. In this sense he is 'richer' than the rich man who has many wants that he cannot satisfy.
For want of a nail…
For a want of a nail the shoe is lost,for want of a shoe the horse is lost, for want of a horse the rider is lost. This proverb which stresses... Read more →
Waste not, want not
If you are economical and careful with your money, you need never want - this is, be without the necessities of life.