Meanings
proverb
alternative Rome was not built in a day
- idiomaticIt takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.
I know this project is a big undertaking, but you need to have patience and be hopeful. Remember that Rome wasn’t built in a day.
5 more examples
[O]ne daye or lytle tyme is not ynoughe for the acheuinge of a great matter. Which is al one with this in engliſhe: Rome was not buylt in one day.
1545 August 20 (Gregorian calendar), Erasmus, “Vna hirundo non facit ver [One swallow does not make it spring]”, in Richard Taverner, transl., Proverbes or Adagies Gathered out of the Chiliades of Erasmus […], new edition, London: Edwardus Whytchurche […]; to be sel […] by Wyllyam Telotson, →OCLC, folio xxv, versoRome was not built in one day (quoth he), and yet stood / Till it was finisht, as some say, full fayre.
1546, John Heywood, chapter XI, in Julian Sharman, editor, The Proverbs of John Heywood. […], London: George Bell and Sons, […], published 1874, →OCLC, part I, pages 64–65The Reformation you haue made of the many and maine corruptions of the Romiſh Ch[urch] vve do ingenuouſly acknovvledge, and doe vvithall imbrace vvith you all the truths vvhich to our knovvledge you haue receiued in ſtead of them. But Rome vvas not built all in a day.
1610, Jos[eph] Hall, “Section XXV. What Separation England hath Made.”, in A Common Apologie of the Church of England: Against the Uniust Challenges of the Ouer-iust Sect, Commonly Called Brownists. […], London: […] [William Stansby] for Samuel Macham, […], →OCLC, marginal note, page 63[…] Rome vvas not built in a day, nor is a Reformation in the true Lavv-ſenſe effectable preſently; […]
1663, Edward Waterhous[e], chapter XXIX, in Fortescutus Illustratus; or A Commentary on that Nervous Treatise De Laudibus Legum Angliæ, Written by Sir John Fortescue Knight, […], London: […] Tho[mas] Roycroft for Thomas Dicas […], →OCLC, page 375[Y]ou muſt lay your account vvith mounting by gradual ſteps to the ſummit of your fortune.—Rome vvas not built in a day,— […]
1748, [Tobias Smollett], “I Cultivate an Acquaintance with Two Noblemen […]”, in The Adventures of Roderick Random. […], volume II, London: […] [William Strahan] for J[ohn] Osborn […], →OCLC, page 173Antonyms: Rome wasn't burned in a day
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbIt takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive.
Opposite
Origin
- Middle FrenchRome ne fut pas faite toute en un jour
- EnglishRome wasn't built in a day
Probably a calque of Middle French Rome ne fut pas faite toute en un jour (literally “Rome was not made all in one day”); compare modern French Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour.
More words from Middle French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic لَم تُبْنَ رُومَا فِي يَوْم
- لَم تُبْنَ رُومَا فِي يَوْم (lam tubna rūmā fī yawm)it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Bulgarian хубавите неща стават бавно
- хубавите неща стават бавно (hubavite nešta stavat bavno)it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Chinese Mandarin 羅馬不是一日建成的 /罗马不是一日建成的, 冰凍三尺，非一日之寒 /冰冻三尺
- 羅馬不是一日建成的 /罗马不是一日建成的 (Luómǎ bù shì yī rì jiàn chéng de)it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
- 冰凍三尺，非一日之寒 /冰冻三尺it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Czech Řím nebyl postaven za jeden den, Praha nebyla postavena za jeden den
- Řím nebyl postaven za jeden denit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
- Praha nebyla postavena za jeden denit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Danish Rom blev ikke bygget på en dag
- Rom blev ikke bygget på en dagit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Dutch Rome is niet op één dag gebouwd, Keulen en Aken zijn niet op één dag gebouwd
- Rome is niet op één dag gebouwdit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
- Keulen en Aken zijn niet op één dag gebouwdit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Esperanto ne en unu tago elkreskis Kartago
- ne en unu tago elkreskis Kartagoit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Estonian Roomat ei ehitatud ühe päevaga
- Roomat ei ehitatud ühe päevagait takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Finnish ei Roomaakaan päivässä rakennettu, Roomaa ei rakennettu yhdessä päivässä
- ei Roomaakaan päivässä rakennettuit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
- Roomaa ei rakennettu yhdessä päivässäit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
French Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jour, Paris ne s'est pas fait en un jour
- Rome ne s'est pas faite en un jourit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
- Paris ne s'est pas fait en un jourit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
German Rom ist nicht an einem Tag erbaut worden, Rom wurde nicht in einem Tag erbaut
- Rom ist nicht an einem Tag erbaut wordenit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
- Rom wurde nicht in einem Tag erbautit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Greek η Ρώμη δεν χτίστηκε σε μια μέρα
- η Ρώμη δεν χτίστηκε σε μια μέρα (i Rómi den chtístike se mia méra)it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Hebrew רומא לא נבנתה ביום אחד
- רומא לא נבנתה ביום אחדit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Hungarian Róma sem egy nap alatt épült (fel), nem egy nap alatt épült fel Róma
- Róma sem egy nap alatt épült (fel)it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
- nem egy nap alatt épült fel Rómait takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Icelandic Róm var ekki byggð á einum degi
- Róm var ekki byggð á einum degiit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Indonesian Roma tidak dibangun dalam sehari
- Roma tidak dibangun dalam sehariit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Irish i ndiaidh a chéile a thógtar na caisleáin
- i ndiaidh a chéile a thógtar na caisleáinit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Italian Roma non fu fatta in un giorno
- Roma non fu fatta in un giornoit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Japanese ローマは一日にして成らず
- ローマは一日にして成らず (Rōma wa ichinichi ni shite narazu)it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Korean 로마는 하루 아침에 이루어지지 않았다
- 로마는 하루 아침에 이루어지지 않았다 (Roma-neun haru achim-e irueo-jiji anatda)it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Latin Rōma nōn ūnō diē aedificāta est
- Rōma nōn ūnō diē aedificāta estit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Lithuanian Roma nebuvo pastatyta per dieną
- Roma nebuvo pastatyta per dienąit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Māori e kore e taea e te rā o te waru
- e kore e taea e te rā o te waruit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Norwegian Bokmål Rom ble ikke bygget på en dag
- Rom ble ikke bygget på en dagit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Polish nie od razu Rzym zbudowano, nie od razu Kraków zbudowano
- nie od razu Rzym zbudowanoit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
- nie od razu Kraków zbudowanoit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Portuguese Roma e Pavia não se fizeram num dia
- Roma e Pavia não se fizeram num diait takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Scottish Gaelic chan ann leis a’ chiad bhuille a thuiteas a’ chraobh
- chan ann leis a’ chiad bhuille a thuiteas a’ chraobhit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Spanish Roma no se hizo en un día, no se ganó Zamora en una hora
- Roma no se hizo en un díait takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
- no se ganó Zamora en una horait takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Swedish Rom byggdes inte på en dag
- Rom byggdes inte på en dagit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Thai กรุงโรมไม่ได้สร้างเสร็จในวันเดียว
- กรุงโรมไม่ได้สร้างเสร็จในวันเดียว (grung-room-mâi-dâi-sâang-sèt-nai-wan-diao)it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Turkish sabreden derviş muradına ermiş
- sabreden derviş muradına ermişit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Ukrainian Рим не одразу будувався, Рим не одразу збудований
- Рим не одразу будувався (Rym ne odrazu buduvavsja)it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
- Рим не одразу збудований (Rym ne odrazu zbudovanyj)it takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Welsh nid mewn undydd y codwyd Rhufain
- nid mewn undydd y codwyd Rhufainit takes a long time to create something complicated or impressive
Rhymes & wordplay
Rhymes with Rome wasn't built in a day
All rhymes →Cite this entry
APA
Rome wasn't built in a day. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rome%20wasn't%20built%20in%20a%20day
MLA
“Rome wasn't built in a day.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rome%20wasn't%20built%20in%20a%20day. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Rome wasn't built in a day,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Rome%20wasn't%20built%20in%20a%20day.
Source: Rome wasn't built in a day on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.