half a loaf is better than none

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half a loaf is better than none

proverb half a loaf is better than no bread · half a loaf is better than no loaf

Something is better than nothing: some reward, achievement, result, etc. is preferable to none at all. "I have the beginnings of genius," he finally decided, "that is, I can see for myself, but I cannot pass the vision on to others by production." "Half a loaf is better than none," said Miss Enistor soothingly.
Similar: something is better than nothing, a bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, beggars can't be choosers, don't look a gift horse in the mouth

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proverb Translations

Español	a falta de pan, buenas son tortas, a mucha hambre, no hay pan duro, a pan de quince días, hambre de tres semanas
Português	melhor que nada, quem não tem cão, caça com gato
Français	mieux que rien, faute de grives, on mange des merles

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MLA

"half a loaf is better than none." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/half%20a%20loaf%20is%20better%20than%20none. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026.

APA

half a loaf is better than none. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/half%20a%20loaf%20is%20better%20than%20none

Chicago

"half a loaf is better than none." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/half%20a%20loaf%20is%20better%20than%20none.

BibTeX

@misc{half_a_loaf_is_better_than_none_2026,
  title = {half a loaf is better than none},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/half%20a%20loaf%20is%20better%20than%20none},
  urldate = {2026-11-07}
}