as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly

proverb

Foolish people repeatedly do foolish things.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. Foolish people repeatedly do foolish things.

Origin

* 1611, King James Version of the Bible, Book of Proverbs, 26:11 *: As a dog returneth to his vomit, so a fool returneth to his folly. Originally from Hebrew: *::כְּכֶלֶב שָׁב עַל קֵאוֹ כְּסִיל שׁוֹנֶה בְאִוַּלְתּוֹ

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Cite this entry
APA

as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/as%20a%20dog%20returns%20to%20his%20vomit%2C%20so%20a%20fool%20repeats%20his%20folly

MLA

“as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/as%20a%20dog%20returns%20to%20his%20vomit%2C%20so%20a%20fool%20repeats%20his%20folly. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/as%20a%20dog%20returns%20to%20his%20vomit%2C%20so%20a%20fool%20repeats%20his%20folly.

Source: as a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool repeats his folly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.