the more the merrier

proverb

Something is more fun with more people.

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Meanings

proverb
  1. Something is more fun with more people.
  2. A greater amount of something is better.
  3. Used to welcome another person into a group activity or encourage them to join in, suggesting that they will be easily accommodated.

Origin

First recorded in the 14th-century poem Pearl, line 850. The phrase contains an instance of the comparative correlative use of the.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian колкото повече, толкова повече
  • колкото повече, толкова повече (kolkoto poveče, tolkova poveče)a greater amount of something is better
Catalan com més serem, més riurem
  • com més serem, més riuremit is more fun with more people
Chinese Mandarin 多多益善, 越多越好
  • 多多益善 (duō duō yì shàn)it is more fun with more people
  • 越多越好 (yuè duō yuè hǎo)it is more fun with more people
Danish desto flere, desto sjovere
  • desto flere, desto sjovereit is more fun with more people
Dutch hoe meer zielen, hoe meer vreugd, hoe meer, hoe beter
  • hoe meer zielen, hoe meer vreugdit is more fun with more people
  • hoe meer, hoe betera greater amount of something is better
Estonian mida rohkem, seda uhkem
  • mida rohkem, seda uhkemit is more fun with more people
Finnish enempi parempi, enempi parempi
  • enempi parempiit is more fun with more people
  • enempi parempia greater amount of something is better
French plus on est de fous, plus on rit
  • plus on est de fous, plus on ritit is more fun with more people
German je mehr, desto besser
  • je mehr, desto besserit is more fun with more people
Greek όσο περισσότεροι, τόσο καλύτερα
  • όσο περισσότεροι, τόσο καλύτερα (óso perissóteroi, tóso kalýtera)it is more fun with more people
Hebrew כמה שיותר, יותר טוב
  • כמה שיותר, יותר טובa greater amount of something is better
Hungarian minél többen vagyunk, annál jobban érezzük magunkat, minél többen vannak, annál jobban érzik magukat
  • minél többen vagyunk, annál jobban érezzük magunkatit is more fun with more people
  • minél többen vannak, annál jobban érzik magukatit is more fun with more people
  • minél több, annál jobb (van / van belőle)a greater amount of something is better
Indonesian makin banyak makin meriah, semakin banyak semakin meriah
  • makin banyak makin meriahit is more fun with more people
  • semakin banyak semakin meriahit is more fun with more people
  • makin banyak makin bagusa greater amount of something is better
  • semakin banyak semakin bagusa greater amount of something is better
Italian più siamo meglio è
  • più siamo meglio èit is more fun with more people
Japanese 多多益益弁ず, 枯れ木も山の賑わい
  • 多多益益弁ず (tata masumasu benzu)it is more fun with more people
  • 枯れ木も山の賑わい (Kareki mo yama no nigiwai)a greater amount of something is better
Korean 다다익선
  • 다다익선 (dadaikseon)it is more fun with more people
Latin melius abundāre quam dēficere
  • melius abundāre quam dēficerea greater amount of something is better
Norwegian jo flere, desto bedre, jo flere, jo bedre
  • jo flere, desto bedreit is more fun with more people
  • jo flere, jo bedreit is more fun with more people
Polish w kupie raźniej, im więcej, tym lepiej
  • w kupie raźniejit is more fun with more people
  • im więcej, tym lepieja greater amount of something is better
Portuguese quanto mais, melhor, quanto mais, melhor
  • quanto mais, melhorit is more fun with more people
  • quanto mais, melhora greater amount of something is better
Russian чем бо́льше, тем веселе́е, в тесноте́, да не в оби́де
  • чем бо́льше, тем веселе́е (čem bólʹše, tem veseléje)it is more fun with more people
  • в тесноте́, да не в оби́де (v tesnoté, da ne v obíde)it is more fun with more people
  • чем бо́льше, тем лу́чше (čem bólʹše, tem lúčše)it is more fun with more people
  • чем бо́льше, тем лу́чше (čem bólʹše, tem lúčše)a greater amount of something is better
Spanish "cuantos más, mejor", "mientras / entre más [seamos], mejor"
  • "cuantos más, mejor"it is more fun with more people
  • "mientras / entre más [seamos], mejor"it is more fun with more people
  • "cuanto / mientras / entre más, mejor"a greater amount of something is better
Swedish ju fler desto roligare, ju fler desto bättre
  • ju fler desto roligareit is more fun with more people
  • ju fler desto bättreit is more fun with more people
Vietnamese càng đông càng vui, càng nhiều càng tốt
  • càng đông càng vuiit is more fun with more people
  • càng nhiều càng tốta greater amount of something is better
Cite this entry
APA

the more the merrier. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20more%20the%20merrier

MLA

“the more the merrier.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20more%20the%20merrier. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the more the merrier,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20more%20the%20merrier.

Source: the more the merrier on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.