blind leaders of the blind
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
Those who give advice to others in need of it, but who are, themselves, unfitted to do so. The allusion is to Matt, xv, 14.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “blind leaders of the blind” mean?
Those who give advice to others in need of it, but who are, themselves, unfitted to do so. The allusion is to Matt, xv, 14.
Is “blind leaders of the blind” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.