let (the) perfect be the enemy of (the) good



Like this video? Subscribe to our free daily email and get a new idiom video every day!

let (the) perfect be the enemy of (the) good

To allow the demand, desire, or insistence for perfection decrease the chances of obtaining a good or favorable result in the end. (Usually used in the negative as an imperative.) I know you want your research paper to be great, but don't let perfect be the enemy of good, or you won't even finish it in time! As a manager, you have to realize both the potential and the limits of your employees, so be sure not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
See also: enemy, good, let, of, perfect

Common Names:

NameGenderPronouncedUsage
AnastÁZie-Czech
AatuAH:-tooFinnish
Calistokah-LEE-sto (Spanish)Portuguese, Spanish
MaËL-French, Breton
LarrieLER-ee, LAR-eeEnglish
Adrijan-Croatian, Macedonian