--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When words are scarce they are seldom…" description: "\"When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain.\" — William Shakespeare" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/421/william-shakespeare-4_language_when-words-are-scarce-they-are-seldom-sp_562305.jpg" --- # When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain. ![“When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain.” quote by William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/421/william-shakespeare-4_language_when-words-are-scarce-they-are-seldom-sp_562305.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/421/william-shakespeare-4_language_when-words-are-scarce-they-are-seldom-sp_562305.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/421/william-shakespeare-4_language_when-words-are-scarce-they-are-seldom-sp_562305.jpg) > “When words are scarce they are seldom spent in vain.” [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Rare words carry weight; when speech is limited, each utterance matters. **In simple terms:** Few words are powerful. Key Takeaway Choose words wisely. Themes communication economy impact Mood thoughtful serious Type advice philosophical When to use this quote - public speaking - writing - negotiations - conflict resolution Key Concepts rhetoric conciseness Questions to Reflect On - How do you decide which words to keep? - What risks arise from speaking too little? A Different Perspective May overlook nuance when brevity is forced. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Language](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/language/) [Vain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/vain/) ## Related quotes > [They say, the tongues of dying men Enforce attention, like deep harmony; Where words are scarce, they're seldom spent in vain; For they breathe…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/they-say-the-tongues-of-dying-men-enforce-attention-like-deep-harmony-2/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Many species of wit are quite mechanical; these are the favorites of witlings, whose fame in words scarce outlives the remembrance of their funeral…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/johann-georg-ritter-von-zimmermann/many-species-of-wit-are-quite-mechanical-these-are-the-favorites-of/) [Johann Georg Ritter von Zimmermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/johann-georg-ritter-von-zimmermann/) > [O, but they say, the tongues of dying men enforce attention, like deep harmony: where words are scarce, they are seldom spent in vain:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-but-they-say-the-tongues-of-dying-men-enforce-attention-like-deep/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Ay! but mother's words are scarce, and weigh heavy. Father's liker me, and we talk a deal o' rubble; but mother's words are liker…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-gaskell/ay-but-mother-s-words-are-scarce-and-weigh-heavy-father-s-liker-me/) [Elizabeth Gaskell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-gaskell/) > [Scarce can I speak, my choler is so great. Oh! I could hew up rocks, and fight with flint.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/scarce-can-i-speak-my-choler-is-so-great-oh-i-could-hew-up-rocks-and/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Let us sit and mock the good housewife Fortune from her wheel, that her gifts may henceforth be bestowed equally, I would we could…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-sit-and-mock-the-good-housewife-fortune-from-her-wheel-that/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Alack, the night comes on, and the bleak winds Do sorely ruffle; for many miles about There's scarce a bush.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/alack-the-night-comes-on-and-the-bleak-winds-do-sorely-ruffle-for/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [For such things as you, I can scarce think there's any, ye're so slight.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/for-such-things-as-you-i-can-scarce-think-there-s-any-ye-re-so-slight/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Where the greater malady is fixed, The lesser is scarce felt.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/where-the-greater-malady-is-fixed-the-lesser-is-scarce-felt/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A table full of welcome makes scarce one dainty dish.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-table-full-of-welcome-makes-scarce-one-dainty-dish/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Men's faults do seldom to themselves appear.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/men-s-faults-do-seldom-to-themselves-appear/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Things are often spoke and seldom meant.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/things-are-often-spoke-and-seldom-meant/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Hasty marriage seldom proveth well.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/hasty-marriage-seldom-proveth-well/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [By being seldom seen, I could not stir But like a comet I was wondered at.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/by-being-seldom-seen-i-could-not-stir-but-like-a-comet-i-was-wondered/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [As love is full of unbefitting strains, All wanton as a child, skipping and vain, Form'd by the eye and therefore, like the eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/as-love-is-full-of-unbefitting-strains-all-wanton-as-a-child-skipping/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) ## More by William Shakespeare > [Let us kill all lawyers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/let-us-kill-all-lawyers/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [A horse, a horse, my kingdom for a horse!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/a-horse-a-horse-my-kingdom-for-a-horse/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [O tiger's heart wrapped in a woman's hide!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/o-tiger-s-heart-wrapped-in-a-woman-s-hide/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Time hath not yet so dried this blood of mine, Nor age so eat up my invention, Nor fortune made such havoc of my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/time-hath-not-yet-so-dried-this-blood-of-mine-nor-age-so-eat-up-my/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Divers philosophers hold that the lips is parcel of the mouth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/divers-philosophers-hold-that-the-lips-is-parcel-of-the-mouth/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [Short time seems long in sorrow's sharp sustaining.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/short-time-seems-long-in-sorrow-s-sharp-sustaining/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; 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I ran out of words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/raghib-clitso/you-re-beautiful-cute-pretty-gorgeous-and-fuck-i-ran-out-of-words/) [Raghib Clitso](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/raghib-clitso/) > [The world has a soul and whoever understands that soul can also understand the language of many things.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/paulo-coelho/the-world-has-a-soul-and-whoever-understands-that-soul-can-also/) [Paulo Coelho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/paulo-coelho/) > [“The words for what I want to say right now don't exist. Everything sounds…so cliché.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shelly-crane/the-words-for-what-i-want-to-say-right-now-don-t-exist-everything/) [Shelly Crane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shelly-crane/) > [A man cannot speak but he judges himself. 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