be careful what you wish for, you just might get it
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
One should be cautious when expressing desires, as they may come true in an unwanted way.
Examples
She wished for a lot of attention, but now she can't even go outside without being recognized.
AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)
Sources & notes
Listed on English Wikiquote “English proverbs” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-31). Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-08-01; pending editor spot-check.
Common questions
What does “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it” mean?
One should be cautious when expressing desires, as they may come true in an unwanted way.
Is “be careful what you wish for, you just might get it” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.