Meanings
- When something is used enough times, it will eventually break down.
She couldn't have expected her luck to last forever: The pitcher goes so often to the well, that it is broken at last, wasn't that what they said?
2006, Nigel McCrery, Still Waters, Book 1, page 2673 more examples
“And he did valiant service, sire,” the major said. “I marked him in the thick of the fight, and saw more than one Imperialist go down before his sword.” “You know the story of the pitcher and the well, Captain Graheme,” the king said, smiling. “Some day you will go once too often, and I shall have to mourn the loss of one of the bravest young officers in my army.”
1886, G A Henty, “Chapter XI, The Capture of Oppenheim”, in The Lion of the NorthOn these last two points the Chancellor could have given way. He was adamant because he and Hebert wanted to demonstrate their power. The pitcher goes so often to the well, that it is broken at last.
1957, Norman Rich, M.H. Fisher, The Holstein Papers, volume 2, page 317Madame knew her hour was fixed and she would not live a minute beyond it; nor did she want to, for, as she said, "The pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last." They bled her when she was too weak to resist, as doctors always do what they like when the patient is feeble.
2005, Julie Baumgold, The Diamond: A Novel, page 116Synonyms: the jug goes to the well until it breaks
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbWhen something is used enough times, it will eventually break down.
Translations
Czech tak dlouho se chodí se džbánem pro vodu, až se ucho utrhne
- tak dlouho se chodí se džbánem pro vodu, až se ucho utrhneWhen you use a thing too much, it ultimately breaks
Finnish ruukku käy kaivolla, kunnes se särkyy
- ruukku käy kaivolla, kunnes se särkyyWhen you use a thing too much, it ultimately breaks
French tant va la cruche à l'eau qu'à la fin elle se casse
- tant va la cruche à l'eau qu'à la fin elle se casseWhen you use a thing too much, it ultimately breaks
German der Krug geht so lange zum Brunnen, bis er bricht
- der Krug geht so lange zum Brunnen, bis er brichtWhen you use a thing too much, it ultimately breaks
Polish póty dzban wodę nosi, póki się ucho nie urwie
- póty dzban wodę nosi, póki się ucho nie urwieWhen you use a thing too much, it ultimately breaks
Portuguese tantas vezes vai o cântaro à fonte, que um dia lá deixa a asa
- tantas vezes vai o cântaro à fonte, que um dia lá deixa a asaWhen you use a thing too much, it ultimately breaks
Romanian ulciorul nu merge de multe ori la apă
- ulciorul nu merge de multe ori la apăWhen you use a thing too much, it ultimately breaks
Spanish tanto va el cántaro a la fuente que al final se rompe
- tanto va el cántaro a la fuente que al final se rompeWhen you use a thing too much, it ultimately breaks
Cite this entry
the pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20pitcher%20goes%20so%20often%20to%20the%20well%20that%20it%20is%20broken%20at%20last
“the pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20pitcher%20goes%20so%20often%20to%20the%20well%20that%20it%20is%20broken%20at%20last. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “the pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/the%20pitcher%20goes%20so%20often%20to%20the%20well%20that%20it%20is%20broken%20at%20last.
Source: the pitcher goes so often to the well that it is broken at last on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.