Explore English traditional proverbsReviewed 2026-10-01
Sense: Verified- Meaning and lesson
The proverb points out that sufficiency depends on having something available. Once a supply is gone, no amount of wishing can make it adequate.
It can also warn against treating a depleted resource as though it were still available. Further needs cannot be met from what has already been used up.
- When it is used
Use it when someone expects more from a supply that has run out, or when deciding whether remaining resources can meet a need. It emphasizes the limit imposed by having nothing left.
How this record reached us: Editorially sourced.
Report an issue with this meaning: There's never enough where nothing's left.