Explore English traditional proverbsReviewed 2026-10-12
Meaning: Verified- Meaning and lesson
Possibility is always matched by the possibility that events will turn out otherwise. What seems likely or promising should not be treated as certain.
The saying urges restraint in prediction and confidence. A hoped-for result may occur, but another outcome remains possible until events are settled.
- When it is used
Use it when someone is treating a possible outcome as assured, to remind them that circumstances can still produce a different result.
Cite or copy proverb
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: Every "may be" hath a "may not be."