better is the enemy of good

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Synonym of perfect is the enemy of good.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Hoàn hảo là kẻ thù của tốt

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

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 “better is the enemy of good” mean?

Synonym of perfect is the enemy of good.

Is “better is the enemy of good” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.