better the devil you know than the devil you don't know

proverb

Something bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. Something bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown.

Translations

Arabic جني تعرفه ولا انسي ما تعرفه
  • جني تعرفه ولا انسي ما تعرفهsomething bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown
Catalan val més un roí conegut que un bo per conèixer
  • val més un roí conegut que un bo per conèixersomething bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown
Finnish parempi tuttu kuin tuntematon paha
  • parempi tuttu kuin tuntematon pahasomething bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown
French mieux vaut un mal connu qu'un bonheur incertain
  • mieux vaut un mal connu qu'un bonheur incertainsomething bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown
German man weiß, was man hat, aber weiß nicht, was man kriegt, schlimmer geht immer
  • man weiß, was man hat, aber weiß nicht, was man kriegtsomething bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown
  • schlimmer geht immersomething bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown
Polish już lepsze znane zło, niż dobro, które masz poznać
  • już lepsze znane zło, niż dobro, które masz poznaćsomething bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown
Romanian mai bun e un drac știut decât unul necunoscut
  • mai bun e un drac știut decât unul necunoscutsomething bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown
Spanish más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer, más vale diablo conocido que por conocer
  • más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocersomething bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown
  • más vale diablo conocido que por conocersomething bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown
Cite this entry
APA

better the devil you know than the devil you don't know. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/better%20the%20devil%20you%20know%20than%20the%20devil%20you%20don't%20know

MLA

“better the devil you know than the devil you don't know.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/better%20the%20devil%20you%20know%20than%20the%20devil%20you%20don't%20know. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “better the devil you know than the devil you don't know,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/better%20the%20devil%20you%20know%20than%20the%20devil%20you%20don't%20know.

Source: better the devil you know than the devil you don't know on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.