Meanings
- Revenge should not be rushed, because it must be calculated coolly or because it is most satisfying when delayed.
Don Corleone nodded. “Revenge is a dish that tastes best when it is cold,” he said.
1969, Mario Puzo, The Godfather, New York, page 4043 more examples
He was no coward, but it had suddenly struck him that the present was a very ill-chosen time for a row with his younger relative, however successful might be the issue. Such violence should not go unpunished, but vengeance is a dish that can be eaten cold.
1892, James Payn, A Modern Dick Whittington; or, A Patron of Letters, volume 1, page 222Time had brought me revenge on Lionel, and as the Italian proverb says, revenge is a dish which people of taste prefer to eat cold.
1949, Robert Hamer, John Dighton, Kind Hearts and Coronets, spoken by Louis Mazzini (Dennis Price)Of course! We are one big, happy fleet! Ah, Kirk, my old friend, do you know the Klingon proverb that tells us revenge is a dish that is best served cold?
1982, Jack B. Sowards, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, spoken by Khan (Ricardo Montalbán)
Origin
The earliest known metaphorical reference to revenge as food in English is “And then revenge is very good eaten cold, as the vulgar say”, from an 1846 translation of Eugène Sue's Mathilde: Mémoires d'une Jeune Femme. The passage suggests that it was an existing expression. Similar proverbs are known as early as the 17th century with “Reuenge is not good in cold bloud” in a translation of Don Quixote. The phrase exists in various Romance languages: Italian la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo, Spanish la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío, French la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid. In French, it is commonly used since at least the 19th century. In English, many variations are attested but the exact phrase revenge is a dish best served cold may originate from the 1982 film Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Catalan la venjança és un plat que se serveix fred
- la venjança és un plat que se serveix fredrevenge should not be rushed
Chinese Mandarin 君子報仇，十年不晚 /君子报仇
- 君子報仇，十年不晚 /君子报仇revenge should not be rushed
Esperanto venĝo estas plado manĝita malvarme
- venĝo estas plado manĝita malvarmerevenge should not be rushed
Finnish kosto on parhaimmillaan kylmänä
- kosto on parhaimmillaan kylmänärevenge should not be rushed
French la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froid
- la vengeance est un plat qui se mange froidrevenge should not be rushed
German not idiomatic, Rache wird am besten kalt serviert
- not idiomaticrevenge should not be rushed
- Rache wird am besten kalt serviertrevenge should not be rushed
- Rache ist süßrevenge should not be rushed
Greek η εκδίκηση είναι ένα πιάτο που τρώγεται κρύο
- η εκδίκηση είναι ένα πιάτο που τρώγεται κρύο (i ekdíkisi eínai éna piáto pou trógetai krýo)revenge should not be rushed
Hungarian a bosszú hidegen tálalva a legjobb
- a bosszú hidegen tálalva a legjobbrevenge should not be rushed
Indonesian ada hujan ada panas, ada hari boleh balas
- ada hujan ada panas, ada hari boleh balasrevenge should not be rushed
Italian la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddo
- la vendetta è un piatto che va servito freddorevenge should not be rushed
Korean 복수는 차갑게 내어야 제맛인 요리
- 복수는 차갑게 내어야 제맛인 요리 (boksuneun chagapge naeeoya jemasin yori)revenge should not be rushed
Polish zemsta najlepiej smakuje na zimno
- zemsta najlepiej smakuje na zimnorevenge should not be rushed
Portuguese vingança é um prato que se come frio, a vingança é um prato que se serve frio
- vingança é um prato que se come friorevenge should not be rushed
- a vingança é um prato que se serve friorevenge should not be rushed
Romanian răzbunarea este un fel de mâncare care este servit la rece
- răzbunarea este un fel de mâncare care este servit la recerevenge should not be rushed
Russian Месть - это блюдо, которое подают холодным
- Месть - это блюдо, которое подают холодным (Mestʹ - eto bljudo, kotoroje podajut xolodnym)revenge should not be rushed
Spanish la venganza es un plato que se sirve frío
- la venganza es un plato que se sirve fríorevenge should not be rushed
Swedish hämnden är ljuv
- hämnden är ljuvrevenge should not be rushed
Vietnamese quân tử trả thù, mười năm chưa muộn
- quân tử trả thù, mười năm chưa muộnrevenge should not be rushed
Cite this entry
revenge is a dish best served cold. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/revenge%20is%20a%20dish%20best%20served%20cold
“revenge is a dish best served cold.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/revenge%20is%20a%20dish%20best%20served%20cold. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “revenge is a dish best served cold,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/revenge%20is%20a%20dish%20best%20served%20cold.
Source: revenge is a dish best served cold on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.