even a worm will turn
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Meaning · English
An oppressed person will eventually rebel against their oppressor.
Literally: a worm twisting in response to being stepped on
Where it’s used:
Used
Widespread English
Sources & notes
Listed on Wikipedia “List of proverbial phrases” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29); definition pending editorial review. Definition drafted by AI (@cf/meta/llama-3.3-70b-instruct-fp8-fast) and auto-approved by rule on 2026-07-30; pending editor spot-check.
Equivalents & related
Common questions
What does “even a worm will turn” mean?
An oppressed person will eventually rebel against their oppressor. Literally: a worm twisting in response to being stepped on
Is “even a worm will turn” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.
What is the closest equivalent?
“thùng rỗng kêu to” (Tiếng Việt) — near equivalent.