English · Proverb Attested

the highest branch is not the safest roost

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

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

A coveted position of power does not guarantee safety to the holder.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Vị trí quyền lực mong muốn không đảm bảo an toàn cho người nắm giữ

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

[…] the highest branch is not the safest roost. So the danger to the Dogras' position also was now the greatest.

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).

Common questions

What does “the highest branch is not the safest roost” mean?

A coveted position of power does not guarantee safety to the holder.

Is “the highest branch is not the safest roost” formal or informal?

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

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