Dictionary Quotes: 50 Inspiring Words on Language

Dictionaries: they're more than just word finders. They are gateways to understanding, unlocking the power of language and enriching our minds. Let's explore some inspiring quotes about these invaluable tools.

Inspiring Dictionary Quotes

"The dictionary is the only place where success comes before work."

Author: Arthur Brisbane

Benefit: A humorous take on the alphabetical order, highlighting the effort required for achievement.

"The value of a liberal education is not the learning of many facts but the training of the mind to think something that cannot be learned from textbooks."

Author: Albert Einstein

Benefit: Underscores the importance of critical thinking over rote memorization from reference materials.

"A writer is a person for whom writing is more difficult than it is for other people."

Author: Thomas Mann

Benefit: Shows the struggles of writers even with the help of dictionaries. Writing is still an art to be mastered.

"A bad word is a hardy weed; pluck it up at once."

Author: Richard Chenevix Trench

Benefit: Emphasizes the importance of careful language choice and eliminating negativity.

"A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say."

Author: Italo Calvino

Benefit: Even classic literature has themes and meanings that can be understood by looking at the words in the dictionary.

"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."

Author: Rudyard Kipling

Benefit: Illustrates the profound impact of language and the importance of using words wisely.

"Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all."

Author: Henry David Thoreau

Benefit: Encourages prioritizing valuable literature and expanding vocabulary.

"A book is a dream that you hold in your hand."

Author: Neil Gaiman

Benefit: Illustrates the immersive and imaginative power of reading.

Dictionary Quotes on Language and Learning

"Language is the dress of thought."

Author: Samuel Johnson

Benefit: Highlights how language shapes and expresses our ideas and thoughts.

"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is really a large matter—it’s the difference between the lightning bug and the lightning."

Author: Mark Twain

Benefit: Emphasizes the precision and impact of choosing the exact right word.

"Proper words in proper places make the true definition of a style."

Author: Jonathan Swift

Benefit: Stresses the importance of vocabulary and arrangement in creating effective writing.

"The limits of my language mean the limits of my world."

Author: Ludwig Wittgenstein

Benefit: Shows the relationship between the language a person knows and the world around them.

"The pen is mightier than the sword."

Author: Edward Bulwer-Lytton

Benefit: Illustrates that influence through writing is greater than brute force.

"Fill your paper with the breathings of your heart."

Author: William Wordsworth

Benefit: Encourages writers to express their true emotions and feelings in their work.

"Words are the most powerful thing in the universe… Words are containers. They contain faith, or fear, or love, or hate."

Author: Barbara Marciniak

Benefit: Words have great power and meaning.

"Think before you speak. Read before you think."

Author: Fran Lebowitz

Benefit: Words and language are powerful, so educate yourself.

Best quotes about dictionaries Quotes for Daily Life

"A man should never use a long word where a short one will do."

Author: George Orwell

Benefit: Advocates for clarity and simplicity in communication.

"Never use a metaphor, simile, or other figure of speech which you are used to seeing in print."

Author: George Orwell

Benefit: Showcases to be original in language.

"Don’t use words too big for the subject. Don’t say infinitely when you mean very; otherwise you’ll have no word left when you discuss the infinite."

Author: C.S. Lewis

Benefit: Proper use of vocabulary makes your ideas better understood.

"Don’t tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass."

Author: Anton Chekhov

Benefit: Focus on showing, not telling.

"I am not a great cook, I am not a great artist, but I love art, and I love food, so I am the perfect target market."

Author: Steve Jobs

Benefit: A unique way to say he loves to eat and to visit museums.

"If I have seen further it is by standing on the shoulders of giants."

Author: Isaac Newton

Benefit: We have help from the past to learn and grow.

"The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

Author: Nelson Mandela

Benefit: The ups and downs of life are important for learning and growing.

"The way to get started is to quit talking and begin doing."

Author: Walt Disney

Benefit: Take action when you want to accomplish your goals.

"Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking."

Author: Steve Jobs

Benefit: Do not conform to others' ideas.

"Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn."

Author: Benjamin Franklin

Benefit: Learning by doing is best.

"The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step."

Author: Lao Tzu

Benefit: Even great endeavors have small beginnings.

"That it will never come again is what makes life so sweet."

Author: Emily Dickinson

Benefit: Life is a gift that is never given again.

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."

Author: Confucius

Benefit: Things can be simpler than one thinks.

"It is never too late to be what you might have been."

Author: George Eliot

Benefit: There's always time to improve.

"Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed."

Author: Friedrich Nietzsche

Benefit: The truth can hurt sometimes.

These quotes remind us of the power and beauty found within the pages of a dictionary. Use them as inspiration to explore language and enrich your understanding of the world!