better the devil you know than the devil you don't

is not in our dictionary (yet). Here's what it could mean:

Confidence: high

Results generated using artificial intelligence.

proverb

A saying that suggests it is wiser to deal with a familiar but unpleasant situation or person than to risk an unknown alternative that could be even worse.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

I'm not happy in my current job, but I'm hesitant to quit without another one lined up; it's a case of better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

From AI

He decided to stick with his old, unreliable car instead of buying a used one he knew nothing about, figuring it was better the devil you know than the devil you don't.

From AI

Thesaurus

Possible Synonyms

Words in our thesaurus

play it safe

other words

risk aversion
if it ain't broke, don't fix it
stick with what you know
the lesser of two evils
a known evil is better than an unknown good

Possible Antonyms

embrace the unknown
nothing ventured, nothing gained
out with the old, in with the new
the grass is greener on the other side
take a leap of faith