better the devil you know than the devil you don't know
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: better the devil you know · better the devil you know than the one you don't know · better the devil you know than the devil you don't · the devil you know is better than the devil you don't know · the devil you know is better than the devil you don't · the devil we know is better than the devil we don't · the devil we know is better than the devil we don't know · the devil you know
Something bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown.
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “better the devil you know than the devil you don't know” mean?
Something bad and familiar is better than something bad and unknown.
Is “better the devil you know than the devil you don't know” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.