Explore English traditional proverbsReviewed 2026-10-01
Sense: Verified- Meaning and lesson
Having enough meets the need; adding more may turn a comfortable margin into unnecessary excess.
The proverb challenges the assumption that extra is always better. It treats sufficiency as a sensible stopping point rather than a reason to keep accumulating.
- When it is used
Use it to question a plan to take, provide, or keep more than is needed, especially when the extra amount is being defended simply because it is available.
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Enough and to spare is too much.