50 Blood is Thicker Than Water Quotes That Will Have You Rethinking Your Relationships

‘Blood is thicker than water’ is likely something you have heard before, but these blood is thicker than water quotes might just offer you some new ways to use this famous saying.

What is interesting to note is that we might have been using this expression wrong.

The term blood is thicker than water implies that familial bonds (those who share your blood) are stronger than the bond we have with friends and romantic partners.

However, the original quote, which is included in this list, is “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.”

What does that mean? Well, the ‘blood of the covenant’ means that those we have formed an agreement or legal contract with, and the ‘water of the womb’ would be people we are related to.

In essence, we may have been using this quote backward!

The people we choose to love, trust, and spend time with can create deeper bonds than those we share genetics with. 

Keep reading through these blood is thicker than water quotes to gain a new perspective and understanding of the meaning behind these oft-quoted words.

If you like this article, we suggest you explore our most popular quotes article, a list of short inspirational quotes for daily encouragement. 

Look through our complete collection of inspirational quotes here.

Blood is thicker than water, but many things are thicker than blood

These funny and sometimes thought-provoking blood is thicker than water quotes remind us that there are many things thicker than blood!

1. “Blood is thicker than water, and so is diarrhea.” — Josh Stern

2. “Blood is thicker than water, but loyalty is thicker than blood.” — Unknown

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3. “The blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb.” — Unknown

4. “Family is the compass that guides us; a place where our feet may leave, but not our hearts.” ― Oliver Wendell Holmes

5. “The tie that links family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” ― Richard Bach

6. “Blood is thicker than water, but love is thicker than both.” ― Ivan Panin

7. “Blood is thicker than water. That’s what they say. But in truth, most things are.” — Libba Bray

8. “Blood is thicker than water…Your car’s engine oil is even thicker. Cherish your car more than family.” — Unknown

9. “Blood is thicker than water, as they say, and money is thicker than blood. Interpret that however you like.” — Richard L. Sanders

10. “Blood is thicker than water, but maple syrup is thicker than blood, so technically pancakes are more important than family.” — Unknown

Is blood really thicker than water quotes?

If you have been let down or betrayed by a family member, you already know the answer to this question. These blood is thicker than water quotes show just wrong this statement can sometimes be.

11. “Blood is thicker than water but some family be faker than friends.” — Unknown

12. “Blood is thicker than water… But family can stab you in the back too.” — Unknown

13. “Blood may be thicker than water, but family has them both beat.” — Walter Mosley

14. “Blood is thicker than water, but it can still be contaminated.” — Matshona Dhliwayo

15. “Jealousy is an ugly trait, and sometimes blood ain’t no thicker than water.” — Reds Johnson

16. “Blood might be thicker than water, but love was the most powerful magic of all.” — Lucy Connors

17. “If blood is thicker than water, then menstruation is thicker than brotherhood.” — Sandra Cisneros

18. “Sometimes blood isn’t thicker than water, and family will cross you quicker than strangers.” — Unknown

19. “Blood may be thicker than water, but it is still sticky, unpleasant and generally nauseating.” — Janeane Garofalo

20. “Choosing your family over your partner or vice versa can be one of the toughest challenges you face in life.” — Unknown

Witty, funny, and interesting blood is thicker than water quotes

This next set of quotes will have you laughing and engaged from the first quote. Take a look and see which is your favorite.

21. “Blood’s not thicker than money.” — Groucho Marx

22. “Blood is thicker than water, but water is easier to swallow.” — P.L. Byrd

23. “Blood is thicker than water but they both leak, trust no one…” — Unknown

24. “They say blood is thicker than water, but I guess the blood is starting to wear thin.” — Unknown

25. “Blood is thicker than water, I know, but it’s unnatural stuff to drink so much of.” — A. E. Coppard

26. “They say blood is thicker than water… But it’s also a lot harder to clean up when it spills.” — Unknown

27. “Blood is thicker than water, but they still use cornstarch as a thickener on cooking shows.” — Josh Stern

28. “Nevertheless, blood is thicker than water, as anyone knows who has tasted both.” — Margaret Atwood

29. “For most people, blood is still thicker than water, but I guess all bets are off when you put money in the mix.” — Lisa Henry

30. “‘Blood is thicker than water,’ the young man said as he knifed his friend for a drooling old bitch and a house full of lies.” ― Ernest Hemingway, 88 Poems

Blood is thicker than water quotes to make you think

Are you on the fence about this statement’s validity? These blood is thicker than water quotes might offer a new perspective.

31. “An ounce of blood is worth more than a pound of friendship.” — Spanish Proverb

32. “It is said that blood is thicker than water. It is what joins us, binds us, curses us.” — Barnabas

33. “They say blood is thicker than water. Only in certain cases, you need water to live. You learn that in the basics.” — Styles P

34. “Blood is thicker than water, but family isn’t just about blood. Family is about faith, and loyalty, and who you love.” — Mira Grant

35. “Blood is thicker than water, my mother had always said when I was growing up, a sentiment I’d often disputed.” — Cheryl Strayed

36. “My friend, I consider you my brother. I know we are not blood, and blood is thicker than water, but your body already has all the blood it needs. You will always need water.” — Eric Pio

37. “I have never bought into the idea that blood is thicker than water. Love and respect are meant to be earned from our children, our spouses, our families, and our friends.” ― Raquel Cepeda, Bird of Paradise: How I Became Latina

38. “I do feel that I like my old friends the better in proportion as I increase my new acquaintance. So you see there is little danger of my forgetting them, and far less my blood relations; for surely blood is thicker than water.” — John Moore

39. “Loving your neighbors is to be a family and is far beyond DNA connection. Blood may be thicker than water, but love, kindness, trust, and ability to empathize with each other in the face of every adversity is what we should call my family.” — Kemmy Nola

40. “We need the historian and philosopher to give us with trenchant pen the story of our forefathers and let our soul and body, with phosphorescent light, brighten the chasm that separates us. We should cling to them just as blood is thicker than water.”  — Arturo Alfonso Schomburg

41. “Family is not an important thing, it’s everything.” ― Michael J. Fox

42. “The bond that links your true family is not one of blood but of respect and joy in each other’s life.” ― Richard Bach

43. “Family is not just a matter of blood; it’s a matter of love, loyalty, and respect.” ― Navonne Johns

44. “The strength of a family, like the strength of an army, lies in its loyalty to each other.” ― Mario Puzo

45. “The love of family is life’s greatest blessing.” ― Eva Burrows

46. “Family means no one gets left behind or forgotten.” ― David Ogden Stiers

47. “In family life, love is the oil that eases friction, the cement that binds closer together, and the music that brings harmony.” ― Friedrich Nietzsche

Origin and variations of the blood is thicker than water quote

Many people do not know where the phrase originated from.

The original phrase “the blood of the covenant is thicker than the water of the womb” is referenced in literature in 1412 and 1670. 

The first use of the phrase “blood is thicker than water” comes from the novel “Guy Mannering,” written by Sir Walter Scott in 1815.

Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish poet and novelist. 

Do you think that blood is thicker than water?

Have you ever really needed help, and your family were the only people willing to support you?

Or have you had your family members turn their backs on you, but your friends have helped you?

Ultimately, I think it is not about blood or water.

It is about where you invest your time and energy and create strong bonds.

If you invest deeply in the relationships with your family members, then you might agree with the idiom.

However, if you put time and effort into building strong bonds with your friends, you may not.

We do not build relationships on blood or water.

They are built on trust, time, energy, sacrifice, and mutual respect.

When all the chips are down, the strongest bonds will prevail.

Share with your family and friends and post your thoughts with us in the comment section below!