Meanings
alternative a watched pot never boils over
- A process appears to proceed more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities.
Synonyms: a watched kettle never boils, watched toast never burns
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbA process appears to proceed more slowly if one waits for it rather than engaging in other activities.
Origin
Refers to the psychological effect of apparent time dilation when closely observing a process (pot being heated) while waiting for it to reach a final state (boiling).
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 心急吃不了熱豆腐 /心急吃不了热豆腐
- 心急吃不了熱豆腐 /心急吃不了热豆腐 (xīnjí chībuliǎo rè dòufu)a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it
Finnish odottavan aika on pitkä
- odottavan aika on pitkäa process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it
French s'inquiéter ne fait pas avancer les choses
- s'inquiéter ne fait pas avancer les chosesa process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it
Hungarian figyelt fazék sosem forr
- figyelt fazék sosem forra process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it
Italian il desiderio rende lunga l'attesa, se guardi l'acqua non bolle mai
- il desiderio rende lunga l'attesaa process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it
- se guardi l'acqua non bolle maia process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it
Polish czekającemu czas się dłuży
- czekającemu czas się dłużya process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it
Russian когда́ ждёшь, вре́мя тя́нется
- когда́ ждёшь, вре́мя тя́нется (kogdá ždjošʹ, vrémja tjánetsja)a process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it
Spanish quien espera, desespera
- quien espera, desesperaa process appears to go more slowly if one waits for it
Cite this entry
a watched pot never boils. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20watched%20pot%20never%20boils
“a watched pot never boils.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20watched%20pot%20never%20boils. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “a watched pot never boils,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/a%20watched%20pot%20never%20boils.
Source: a watched pot never boils on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.