Phrase Finder

Idiom

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

What does "A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush" mean?

It’s better to have a lesser but certain advantage than the possibility of a greater one that may come to nothing.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush

The United Kingdom.

Meaning It’s better to have a lesser but certain advantage than the possibility of a greater one that may come to nothing.

Usage One of the most widely used proverbs throughout the English-speaking world.

Example

  • The questions in the final round looked hard so we opted out of the big prize and took the smaller $2,000 second prize. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush you know.

Pronunciation