Phrase guide

a foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds

proverb · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

proverb

Meaning 1

Consistency may not be the key to success; changes, even minor ones, must be introduced.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

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Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

A quotation from Self-Reliance, an essay by Ralph Waldo Emerson, published in 1841.