actions speak louder
Behavior reveals truth
Actions speak louder is the truncated form of the proverb "actions speak louder than words"—the idea that what people do reveals more about their intentions than what they say.
The full phrase often gets cut short when the meaning is obvious: You can apologize all you want, but actions speak louder.
- deedsActions or legal titles
- wordsUnits of language
- proveEstablish as fact
- showMake something apparent
- show don't tellWriting principle favoring demonstration
demonstrate · walk the walk · walk · talk · put up or shut up · behavior · evidence · results · follow-through · back it up · commitment · promises · integrity · character · trust · example · practice · preach
- common sayingsproverbs, idioms, cliches, maxims, adages
- idiomstime flies, hit the sack, seize the day, ring a bell, break a leg
- life wisdomcarpe diem, seize the day, live and learn, this too shall pass, know thyself
- moral sayingsdo unto others, golden rule, do the right thing, honesty is the best policy, treat others fairly
- sayingssayings, saying, proverb, proverbs, adage
- wisdom sayingsproverbs, sayings, adages, maxims, aphorisms
actions speak louderempty promises
Insincere verbal commitments
lip service · mere words · talk is cheap · sweet nothings · platitudes
actions speak louderwindow dressing
Deceptive surface appeal
smoke and mirrors · virtue signaling · performative · optics · superficiality
action, actions, acted, acting, actor, actors, actress, active, activate