a chain is only as strong as its weakest link

proverb

An organization is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person; a group of associates is only as competent as its laziest member.

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Meanings

proverb

alternative a chain is as strong as its weakest link · alternative a chain is no stronger than its weakest link

  1. An organization is only as strong or powerful as its weakest person; a group of associates is only as competent as its laziest member.

Origin

First appeared in Thomas Reid’s Essays on the Intellectual Powers of Man, published in 1786. The full idiom a chain is no stronger than its weakest link was first printed in Cornhill Magazine in 1868.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 千里之堤，潰於蟻穴 /千里之堤, 溃于蚁穴
  • 千里之堤，潰於蟻穴 /千里之堤aphorism
  • 溃于蚁穴 (qiānlǐzhīdī, kuìyúyǐxué)aphorism
  • 一步下錯，滿盤皆輸 /一步下错aphorism
  • 满盘皆输aphorism
Danish en kæde kun så stærk som det svageste led
  • en kæde kun så stærk som det svageste ledaphorism
Dutch de keten is zo sterk als haar zwakste schakel
  • de keten is zo sterk als haar zwakste schakelaphorism
Finnish ketju on vain niin vahva kuin sen heikoin lenkki
  • ketju on vain niin vahva kuin sen heikoin lenkkiaphorism
German eine Kette ist nur so stark wie ihr schwächstes Glied
  • eine Kette ist nur so stark wie ihr schwächstes Gliedaphorism
Greek μια αλυσίδα είναι όσο δυνατή όσο ο πιο αδύναμός της κρίκος
  • μια αλυσίδα είναι όσο δυνατή όσο ο πιο αδύναμός της κρίκος (mia alysída eínai óso dynatí óso o pio adýnamós tis kríkos)aphorism
Hungarian a leggyengébb láncszemnél szakad a lánc
  • a leggyengébb láncszemnél szakad a láncaphorism
Indonesian sebuah rantai hanya sekuat tautan terlemahnya
  • sebuah rantai hanya sekuat tautan terlemahnyaaphorism
Italian una catena è forte quanto il suo anello più debole
  • una catena è forte quanto il suo anello più deboleaphorism
Norwegian Bokmål en kjede er aldri sterkere enn sitt svakeste ledd
  • en kjede er aldri sterkere enn sitt svakeste leddaphorism
Portuguese uma corrente é tão forte quanto seu elo mais fraco, uma corrente é tão forte quanto o seu elo mais fraco
  • uma corrente é tão forte quanto seu elo mais fracoaphorism
  • uma corrente é tão forte quanto o seu elo mais fracoaphorism
Russian где то́нко, там и рвётся
  • где то́нко, там и рвётся (gde tónko, tam i rvjótsja)aphorism
Spanish una cadena es tan fuerte como su eslabón más débil
  • una cadena es tan fuerte como su eslabón más débilaphorism
Swedish en kedja är aldrig starkare än dess svagaste länk
  • en kedja är aldrig starkare än dess svagaste länkaphorism
Cite this entry
APA

a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20chain%20is%20only%20as%20strong%20as%20its%20weakest%20link

MLA

“a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20chain%20is%20only%20as%20strong%20as%20its%20weakest%20link. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20chain%20is%20only%20as%20strong%20as%20its%20weakest%20link.

Source: a chain is only as strong as its weakest link on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.