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  • Discretion is the better part of valor
    Discretion is the better part of valor
    Caution is preferable to rash bravery. Said by Falstaff in King Henry the Fourth, Part One, by William Shakespeare.
  • discretion is the better part of valor
    discretion is the better part of valor
    It is better to be prudent than merely courageous, as in I'm signing up for the easy course first; discretion is the better part of valor. This proverb, a synonym of look before you leap, was first recorded in 1477. Charles Churchill put it in poetic form: “Even in a hero's heart, Discretion is the better part” (The Ghost, 1762). Shakespeare also used a form of it: “The better part of valor is discretion” (1 Henry IV, 5:4).

Discretion is the better part of valor

Cultural  
  1. Caution is preferable to rash bravery. Said by Falstaff in King Henry the Fourth, Part One, by William Shakespeare.


discretion is the better part of valor Idioms  
  1. It is better to be prudent than merely courageous, as in I'm signing up for the easy course first; discretion is the better part of valor. This proverb, a synonym of look before you leap, was first recorded in 1477. Charles Churchill put it in poetic form: “Even in a hero's heart, Discretion is the better part” (The Ghost, 1762). Shakespeare also used a form of it: “The better part of valor is discretion” (1 Henry IV, 5:4).


Example Sentences

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

She goes ahead with the wedding, deciding that discretion is the better part of valor.

From New York Times • Apr. 9, 2021

When you’ve reached the develop-and-evaluate portion of a lost season, discretion is the better part of valor.

From Washington Times • Dec. 9, 2019

As for Ike's feelings about Kay, word is that the movie may well conclude that discretion is the better part of valor when treating old comrades-in-arms.

From Time Magazine Archive

Sometimes discretion is the better part of valor.

From Time Magazine Archive

It may be true that discretion is the better part of valor.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

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