English · Proverb Candidate

fools rush in where angels fear to tread

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: fools rush in (where angels fear to tread)

Sense 1

Meaning · English

A person who does not plan ahead and think matters through becomes involved in risky or unfavorable situations which prudent people avoid.

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

“It's the first article of your creed—that marriage is a holy sacrament, that no power on earth or in hell can ever dissolve its bonds? Fools rush in where angels fear to tread, my dear! They always have—they always will, I suppose.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

Impulsive people take risks that wiser ones avoid

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Người冲 động thường mạo hiểm nơi người khôn ngoan tránh

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Literally: fools rush in where angels fear to tread

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English

Examples

He quit his job without a plan, a classic case of fools rush in where angels fear to tread

AI-drafted example auto-approved by rule (illustrative, not a corpus attestation)

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 2026-07-31; pending editor spot-check.

Topics: Gods & heaven

Common questions

What does “fools rush in where angels fear to tread” mean?

A person who does not plan ahead and think matters through becomes involved in risky or unfavorable situations which prudent people avoid.

Is “fools rush in where angels fear to tread” formal or informal?

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