better safe than sorry

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

it is wiser to take precautions and accept some inconvenience than to ignore a risk and suffer serious harm as a result; prefer caution over false economy when dealing with situations that carry potential danger or significant negative consequences; one of the most universally applied proverbs of risk management, safety culture, and security policy, used to justify controls and procedures that may seem burdensome in the absence of a visible immediate threat but prove their value when that threat materialises