evil be to him who evil thinks

proverb

Those who plot to commit evil deeds or harbor disgraceful thoughts deserve to have evil done to them.

Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

proverb
  1. Those who plot to commit evil deeds or harbor disgraceful thoughts deserve to have evil done to them.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
honi soit qui mal y pense

Origin

Compare with Anglo-Norman honi soit qui mal y pense ("shame on him who thinks evil of it"), the motto of the Order of the Garter.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

evil be to him who evil thinks. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/evil%20be%20to%20him%20who%20evil%20thinks

MLA

“evil be to him who evil thinks.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/evil%20be%20to%20him%20who%20evil%20thinks. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “evil be to him who evil thinks,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/evil%20be%20to%20him%20who%20evil%20thinks.

Source: evil be to him who evil thinks on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.