What does ‘he who laughs last laughs best’ mean?
To “he who laughs last laughs best” means to the final winner is the true winner. Brewer's records the proverb in various European forms.
Origin
- Brewer's records the proverb in various European forms.
How to use it
- Common comment on ongoing rivalries.
- Example: They mock him now, but he who laughs last laughs best.
Source:
Last verified: 2026-07-18
- Definitions and origins are drawn from public-domain reference works, primarily Brewer's Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898), with modern usage notes clearly marked.