Meanings
- A little effort expended sooner to fix a small problem prevents it from becoming a larger problem requiring more effort to fix later.
"Time's up!" S.Q. Pedalian called out during the morning class one day. "Pass me your quizzes, everyone — and no dallying, please. A stitch in time saves time^([sic]), you know." [...] "No, a stitch in time saves nine," Martina scoffed.
2007, Trenton Lee Stewart, The Mysterious Benedict Society, page 188
Origin
From the practice of mending a small tear in cloth when first noticed ("in time"), before it becomes a larger one requiring more stitches.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 小洞不補，大洞吃苦 /小洞不补, 大洞吃苦
- 小洞不補，大洞吃苦 /小洞不补a timely effort can prevent larger problems
- 大洞吃苦 (xiǎo dòng bù bǔ, dà dòng chīkǔ)a timely effort can prevent larger problems
- 防微杜漸 /防微杜渐 (fángwēidùjiàn)a timely effort can prevent larger problems
- 事半功倍 (shìbàngōngbèi)a timely effort can prevent larger problems
Danish udsæt ikke til i morgen, det du kan gøre i dag
- udsæt ikke til i morgen, det du kan gøre i daga timely effort can prevent larger problems
Dutch werk op tijd maakt welbereid
- werk op tijd maakt welbereida timely effort can prevent larger problems
Finnish parempi oja tukkia kuin joki
- parempi oja tukkia kuin jokia timely effort can prevent larger problems
French un point fait à temps en épargne cent, mieux vaut prévenir que guérir
- un point fait à temps en épargne centa timely effort can prevent larger problems
- mieux vaut prévenir que guérira timely effort can prevent larger problems
German was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf morgen
- was du heute kannst besorgen, das verschiebe nicht auf morgena timely effort can prevent larger problems
Greek κάλλιο γαϊδουρόδενε παρά γαϊδουρογύρευε
- κάλλιο γαϊδουρόδενε παρά γαϊδουρογύρευε (kállio gaïdouródene pará gaïdourogýreve)a timely effort can prevent larger problems
Hungarian a rest kétszer fárad
- a rest kétszer fárada timely effort can prevent larger problems
Italian meglio prevenire che curare, prevenire è meglio che curare
- meglio prevenire che curarea timely effort can prevent larger problems
- prevenire è meglio che curarea timely effort can prevent larger problems
- è meglio prevenire che curarea timely effort can prevent larger problems
Japanese 今日の一針明日の十針
- 今日の一針明日の十針 (kyō no hitohari asu no tohari)a timely effort can prevent larger problems
Norwegian Bokmål utsett ikke til i morgen, det du kan gjøre i dag
- utsett ikke til i morgen, det du kan gjøre i daga timely effort can prevent larger problems
Polish lepiej zapobiegać niż leczyć
- lepiej zapobiegać niż leczyća timely effort can prevent larger problems
Portuguese é melhor prevenir do que remediar
- é melhor prevenir do que remediara timely effort can prevent larger problems
Russian оди́н стежо́к, сде́ланный во́время, сто́ит девяти́
- оди́н стежо́к, сде́ланный во́время, сто́ит девяти́ (odín stežók, sdélannyj vóvremja, stóit devjatí)a timely effort can prevent larger problems
Spanish más vale prevenir que curar
- más vale prevenir que curara timely effort can prevent larger problems
Swedish bättre att stämma i bäcken än i ån, stämma i bäcken
- bättre att stämma i bäcken än i åna timely effort can prevent larger problems
- stämma i bäckena timely effort can prevent larger problems
Turkish bir mıh nal kurtarır, bir nal bir at kurtarır
- bir mıh nal kurtarır, bir nal bir at kurtarıra timely effort can prevent larger problems
Cite this entry
a stitch in time saves nine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20stitch%20in%20time%20saves%20nine
“a stitch in time saves nine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20stitch%20in%20time%20saves%20nine. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a stitch in time saves nine,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20stitch%20in%20time%20saves%20nine.
Source: a stitch in time saves nine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.