if it ain't broke, don't fix it
English · Thesaurus
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Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.
if it ain't broke, don't fix it
Where it comes from
Attested since c. 1962, originally Southern United States English; popularized by T. Bert Lance in May 1977.
proverb if it ain't broken, don't fix it
-
It is wise to leave something alone and to avoid attempting to correct, fix, or improve what is already sufficient (often with an implication that is the attempted improvement is risky and might backfire).
I know it’s an ugly-looking antenna, but it gets the job done, and if it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Similar: don't mess with success, if it ain't busted, don't fix it, leave well enough alone, if it works, it works
Translations
Every language
proverb leave something alone
| Español | si funciona, no lo toques |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | 角を矯めて牛を殺す tsuno-wo-tamete ushi-wo-korosu |
| 中文 | 東西沒壞就別修它 /东西没坏就别修它 dōngxi méi huài jiù bié xiū tā |
| हिन्दी | जो चीज़ खराब नहीं है उसे ठीक ना करें jo cīz kharāb nahī̃ hai use ṭhīk nā karẽ |
| Português | em time que está ganhando, não se mexe |
| Français | on ne change pas une équipe qui gagne |
| Deutsch | ist es nicht hin, mach es nicht heil, repariere nichts, was nicht kaputt ist |
| Italiano | finché la barca va, lasciala andare, cavallo che vince non si cambia |
| עברית | מה שעובד ־ לא נוגעים, אם זה לא מקולקל, אל תתקן |
Talk about this word "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/if%20it%20ain't%20broke%2C%20don't%20fix%20it. Accessed 7 Nov. 2026. if it ain't broke, don't fix it. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 7, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/if%20it%20ain't%20broke%2C%20don't%20fix%20it "if it ain't broke, don't fix it." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 7, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/if%20it%20ain't%20broke%2C%20don't%20fix%20it.Cite this
@misc{if_it_ain_t_broke_don_t_fix_it_2026,
title = {if it ain't broke, don't fix it},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/if%20it%20ain't%20broke%2C%20don't%20fix%20it},
urldate = {2026-11-07}
}
