What does ‘the road to hell is paved with good intentions’ mean?
To “the road to hell is paved with good intentions” means to good intentions alone don't produce good outcomes. Brewer's records this as an old European proverb, echoed in Samuel Johnson's writings and traceable back through medieval Latin.
Origin
- Brewer's records this as an old European proverb, echoed in Samuel Johnson's writings and traceable back through medieval Latin.
How to use it
- Common in political and personal criticism.
- Example: The subsidy backfired — the road to hell is paved with good intentions.
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.