Word.ws English Dictionary

if the shoe fits, wear it

if the shoe fits, wear it proverb: if a description fits, it is probably the case; if an insult accurately describes you, you must bear it; if you take offence at an insult that was only implicitly directed at you, you admit the insult is true enough to be recognizable.

Proverb

if the shoe fits, wear it

  1. (idiomatic) If a description fits, it is probably the case; if an insult accurately describes you, you must bear it; if you take offence at an insult that was only implicitly directed at you, you admit the insult is true enough to be recognizable.
    • "Do you mean to insult me by that?" he roared.
      "If the shoe fits, you can wear it."
      "I'll knock you down for the insult."1901, Horatio Alger, chapter 18, in Young Captain Jack
  2. (idiomatic) If it works, there is not a problem using it. Often a response to being judged when using an incorrect tool.

Synonyms of if the shoe fits, wear it

Questions about if the shoe fits, wear it

What does if the shoe fits, wear it mean?
If the shoe fits, wear it means if a description fits, it is probably the case; if an insult accurately describes you, you must bear it; if you take offence at an insult that was only implicitly directed at you, you admit the insult is true enough to be recognizable.
What part of speech is if the shoe fits, wear it?
If the shoe fits, wear it is a proverb.

Words near if the shoe fits, wear it in the dictionary

  1. if the cap fits, wear it
  2. if the mountain won't come to Mohammed
  3. if the mountain won't come to Muhammad
  4. if the mountain won't come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain
  5. if the shoe fits
  6. if the shoe fits, wear it
  7. if there ever was one
  8. if there ever were one
  9. if there is a hole, there is a goal
  10. if there's a hole, there's a goal
  11. if there's grass on the field, play ball

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: if the shoe fits, wear it (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-if the shoe fits, wear it.wav.

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