Meaning of ‘Actions Speak Louder Than Words’
‘Actions speak louder than words‘ is an idiom that means a person’s actions are more impactful than just their words alone. Put another way—instead of just talking about doing something, it’s more meaningful if a person actually does something.
Example: Mike’s house was always a mess, with clutter scattered everywhere! When his friends visited, they would often trip over things. He kept saying that he would clean up, but he never did, so they finally told him, “Mike, your house is too messy! You keep telling us that you’ll clean up next time, but actions speak louder than words.”
Similar Phrases: all bark and no bite, all talk and no action, talk is cheap
Related Idioms:
Interested in exploring more idioms that start with the letter A? Check out our Common Idioms Starting With A page for a list of them.
If someone wants to have a cleaner home, merely saying it won’t get the job done. Only taking action will.
Origin of ‘Actions Speak Louder Than Words’
Sometimes people say they will do something, but then they don’t do it. For example, a husband might tell his wife that he will start doing more chores around the house to help her out. That’s nice and all, but what if he never follows through? Then his wife might tell him ‘actions speak louder than words,’ which means that instead of only saying he will help out with the chores, it would more meaningful if he actually took action and did the thing he said. Yes, this expression emphasizes that our actions matter more than just our words alone.
Anyway, enough about that. Let us talk about the origin of this phrase. Its earliest known appearance (with the exact wording it has today) is in a work called Melancholy State of Province, 1736:
“Actions speak louder than words, and are more to be regarded.”
However, the idea of this phrase goes back even further. For example, Michel de Montaigne, who lived during the 1500s, expressed the following in one of the essays he wrote:
“Saying is a different thing from doing.”
In summary, the modern form of the phrase ‘actions speak louder than words‘ is a over 280 years old, at least. However, the idea behind the phrase—that actions are more significant than words—is much more ancient.
Example Sentences
Let’s go over some usage cases for the phrase ‘actions speak louder than words.’
Example Sentences:
1. Jim was so busy that he had difficulty finding time to spend with his family. After talking about it his with wife, he agreed to fix this problem, but so far nothing has changed. So his wife said, “Actions speak louder than words. If you really plan on spending more time with us, then show us.”
Example Sentences That Use Similar Idioms:
1. You’re all talk and no action, John. Last week you promised to clean out the gutters, but they are still full of leaves!
2. If you keep letting your coworkers take credit for your ideas, they’ll start thinking you’re all bark and no bite.