- Meaning and lesson
Money tends to attract companionship, assistance, and flattering attention. The saying warns that apparent friendship may be drawn to a person's resources rather than to genuine personal affection or loyalty.
It invites skepticism about relationships that flourish around wealth, while remaining a cynical generalization rather than proof that every wealthy person's friendships are insincere. Prosperity may create social ties that weaken when financial advantage disappears.
- When it is used
Use it when commenting on the way wealth draws admirers or convenient allies, especially when questioning whether such goodwill would survive financial loss. Its archaic wording gives it a proverbial, reflective tone rather than a casual conversational one.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: A full purse never lacketh friends.