He bragged all week, then lost the final — pride comes before a fall.
pride comes before a fall
idiomArrogance and overconfidence tend to precede a downfall.
Origin
The saying condenses Proverbs 16:18: "Pride goeth before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." The proverb draws a straight line from arrogance to ruin — the higher the self-regard, the harder the eventual drop.
The common modern form, "pride comes before a fall," neatly telescopes the verse's two halves into one, keeping the cause (pride) and the consequence (the fall) while trimming the rest.
Its usefulness is in its timing. The phrase is almost always aimed at someone riding high, as a warning that overconfidence invites the very disaster it ignores — the champion who assumes the title is already won, the firm that mistakes a good year for permanent success.
They celebrated the win before the game was over, forgetting that pride comes before a fall.
The firm's leadership grew so sure of its dominance that it stopped innovating, a textbook case of pride comes before a fall, and a nimbler rival ate its market within two years.
Job, Psalms, Proverbs and Ecclesiastes on how to live.
- 01
nothing new under the sun (idiom)
Human affairs endlessly repeat; what seems novel has all happened before.
- 02
the patience of Job (idiom)
Extraordinary endurance and calm in the face of prolonged suffering.
- 03
by the skin of your teeth (idiom)
Just barely
- 04
a fly in the ointment (idiom)
A small flaw or problem that spoils something otherwise good.
- 05
my cup runneth over (idiom)
A feeling of having blessings or good fortune in overwhelming abundance.
- 06
the valley of the shadow of death (idiom)
A time or place of extreme danger, fear, or hardship.