“Why” and “how” are words so important that they cannot be too often used.
—Napoleon I (1769–1821) Emperor of France
A bad word whispered will echo a hundred miles
—Chinese Proverb
Style may defined as the proper words in the proper places.
—Jonathan Swift (1667–1745) Irish Satirist
Words are also actions, and actions are a kind of words
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–82) American Philosopher
Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know men.
—Confucius (551–479 BCE) Chinese Philosopher
At painful times, when composition is impossible and reading is not enough, grammars and dictionaries are excellent for distraction.
—Elizabeth Barrett Browning (1806–61) English Poet
Words are often seen hunting for an idea, but ideas are never seen hunting for words.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
Men of few words are the best men.
—William Shakespeare (1564–1616) British Playwright
A new word is like a fresh seed sewn on the ground of the discussion.
—Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889–1951) Austrian-born British Philosopher
Use the right word and not its second cousin
—Mark Twain (1835–1910) American Humorist
Weigh the meaning and look not at the words.
—Ben Jonson (1572–1637) English Dramatist, Poet, Actor
The finest language is mostly made up of simple unimposing words.
—George Eliot (Mary Anne Evans) (1819–80) English Novelist
Our great men have written words of wisdom to be used when hardship must be faced. Life obliges us with hardship so the words of wisdom shouldn’t go to waste.
—Jerry Bock (1928–2010) American Musical Theater Composer
A wise man hears one word and understands two.
—Yiddish Proverb
Actually if a writer needs a dictionary he should not write. He should have read the dictionary at least three times from beginning to end and then have loaned it to someone who needs it. There are only certain words which are valid and similes (bring me my dictionary) are like defective ammunition (the lowest thing I can think of at this time).
—Ernest Hemingway (1899–1961) American Author, Journalist, Short Story Writer
There’s a great power in words, if you don’t hitch too many of them together.
—Josh Billings (Henry Wheeler Shaw) (1818–85) American Humorist, Author, Lecturer
There is no greater impediment to the advancement of knowledge than the ambiguity of words.
—Thomas Reid (1710–96) Scottish Philosopher, Clergyman
The basic tool for the manipulation of reality is the manipulation of words. If you can control the meaning of words, you can control the people who must use the words.
—Philip K. Dick (1928–82) American Novelist, Essayist, Short Story Writer
Language is the amber in which a thousand precious thoughts have been safely embedded and preserved. It has arrested ten thousand lightning-flashes of genius, which, unless thus fixed and arrested, might have been as bright, but would have also been as quickly passing and perishing as the lightning. Words convey the mental treasures of one period to the generations that follow; and laden with this, their precious freight, they sail safely across gulfs of time in which empires have suffered shipwreck, and the languages of common life have sunk into oblivion.
—Richard Chenevix Trench (1807–86) Irish Prelate, Philologist, Poet
Good words are worth much and cost little.
—George Herbert (1593–1633) Welsh Anglican Poet, Orator, Clergyman
Watch your thoughts, they become your words
Watch your words, they become your actions
Watch your actions, they become your habits
Watch your habits, they become your character
Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
—Anonymous
Anger repressed can poison a relationship as surely as the cruelest words.
—Joyce Brothers (1927–2013) American Psychologist, Advice Columnist
The world is satisfied with words, few care to dive beneath the surface.
—Blaise Pascal (1623–62) French Mathematician, Physicist, Theologian
Abuse of words has been the great instrument of sophistry and chicanery, of party, faction, and division of society.
—John Adams (1735–1826) American Head of State, Lawyer
Today the discredit of words is very great. Most of the time the media transmit lies. In the face of an intolerable world, words appear to change very little. State power has become congenitally deaf, which is why—but the editorialists forget it—terrorists are reduced to bombs and hijacking.
—John Berger (1926–2017) English Art Critic, Novelist
Never use big words where a diminutive one will suffice.
—Unknown
Pleasant words are like a honeycomb, Sweetness to the soul and health to the bones
—The Holy Bible Scripture in the Christian Faith
However many holy words you read,
However many you speak,
What good will they do you
If you do not act on upon them?
—Buddhist Teaching
There are those who understand everything till one puts it into words.
—F. H. Bradley (1846–1924 ) British Idealist Philosopher
Words are the counters of wise men, and the money of fools.
—Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679) English Political Philosopher