a burnt child dreads the fire
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: the burnt child dreads the fire · the burnt child fears the fire
Sense 1
Meaning · English
A person harmed by something becomes more cautious about it.
Register: dated
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
The Continental insurance company has instructed its agents not to use Rubber Stamps to affix their signatures to policies, renewals, etc., because “Rubber Stamps are easily duplicated, at small expense, even in the case of fac-similes of signatures, and forgery and fraud are facilitated by their us
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Alternative form of a burnt child dreads the fire.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “a burnt child dreads the fire” mean?
A person harmed by something becomes more cautious about it.
Is “a burnt child dreads the fire” formal or informal?
a burnt child dreads the fire is generally dated.