Meanings
- idiomaticOne should attend to one's own flaws or defects before presuming to advise others about theirs.
“You are really as bad as Margaret,” she declared. “There is nothing the matter with me. You talk of ‘curing’ me as though I were ill. Physician, heal thyself.”
1919, Sax Rohmer, chapter XXI, in DopeSynonyms: doctor, heal thyself
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbOne should attend to one's own flaws or defects before presuming to advise others about theirs.
Origin
- Latinmedice, cūrā tē ipsum
- Ancient Greekἰατρέ, θεράπευσον σεαυτόν
- Englishphysician, heal thyself
Calque of Ancient Greek ἰατρέ, θεράπευσον σεαυτόν (iatré, therápeuson seautón) and Latin medice, cūrā tē ipsum, from Luke 4:23.
More words from Ancient Greek, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἰατρέ, θεράπευσον σεαυτόν
- ἰατρέ, θεράπευσον σεαυτόν (iatré, therápeuson seautón)Translations
Arabic أَيُّهَا ٱلطَّبِيبُ ٱشْفِ نَفْسَكَ, يَا طَبِيبُ طُبَّ لِنَفْسِكَ
- أَيُّهَا ٱلطَّبِيبُ ٱشْفِ نَفْسَكَ (ʔayyuhā ṭ-ṭabību šfi nafsaka)Translations
- يَا طَبِيبُ طُبَّ لِنَفْسِكَ (yā ṭabību ṭubba linafsika)Translations
Catalan metge, cura't a tu mateix
- metge, cura't a tu mateixTranslations
Chinese Mandarin 醫生，你醫治自己罷 /医生, 你医治自己罢
- 醫生，你醫治自己罷 /医生Translations
- 你医治自己罢 (yīshēng, nǐ yīzhì zìjǐ bà)Translations
Dutch medicijnmeester, genees uzelven, geneesheer, genees uzelf
- medicijnmeester, genees uzelvenTranslations
- geneesheer, genees uzelfTranslations
Finnish parantaja, paranna itsesi
- parantaja, paranna itsesiTranslations
French médecin, guéris-toi toi-même
- médecin, guéris-toi toi-mêmeTranslations
German Arzt, hilf dir selber, Arzt, heile dich selbst
- Arzt, hilf dir selberTranslations
- Arzt, heile dich selbstTranslations
Hebrew אָסְיָא אַסִּי חִגַּרְתָּךְ
- אָסְיָא אַסִּי חִגַּרְתָּךְ (ásya así ẖigartách)Translations
Italian medico, cura te stesso
- medico, cura te stessoTranslations
Japanese 医者の不養生
- 医者の不養生 (isha no fuyōjō)Translations
Latin medice, cura te ispum
- medice, cura te ispumTranslations
Polish lekarzu, lecz się sam, lekarzu, ulecz samego siebie
- lekarzu, lecz się samTranslations
- lekarzu, ulecz samego siebieTranslations
Portuguese médico, cura-te a ti mesmo
- médico, cura-te a ti mesmoTranslations
Russian вра́чу, исцели́ся сам
- вра́чу, исцели́ся сам (vráču, iscelísja sam)Translations
Spanish médico, cúrate a ti mismo
- médico, cúrate a ti mismoTranslations
Swedish läkare, bota dig själv
- läkare, bota dig självTranslations
Welsh y meddyg, iachâ di dy hun
- y meddyg, iachâ di dy hunTranslations
Cite this entry
physician, heal thyself. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/physician%2C%20heal%20thyself
“physician, heal thyself.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/physician%2C%20heal%20thyself. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “physician, heal thyself,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/physician%2C%20heal%20thyself.
Source: physician, heal thyself on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.