Phrase guide

half a loaf is better than none

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

Something is better than nothing: some reward, achievement, result, etc. is preferable to none at all.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Czech: malé ryby taky ryby — Translations
  • Finnish: parempi pyy pivossa kuin kymmenen oksalla — Translations
  • Finnish: parempi vähän kuin ei mitään — Translations
  • French: mieux que rien — Translations
  • French: faute de grives, on mange des merles — Translations
  • Polish: lepszy rydz niż nic — Translations
  • Portuguese: melhor que nada — Translations
  • Portuguese: quem não tem cão, caça com gato — Translations
  • Spanish: a falta de pan, buenas son tortas — Translations
  • Spanish: a mucha hambre, no hay pan duro — Translations
  • Spanish: a pan de quince días, hambre de tres semanas — Translations
  • Thai: กําขี้ดีกว่ากําตด (gam-kîi-dii-gwàa-gam-dtòt) — Translations