he who hesitates is lost

proverb

A person who spends too much time contemplating what to do may miss a valuable but fleeting opportunity.

Similar
carpe diem
Opposite
fools rush in where angels fear to treadlook before you leap
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Meanings

proverb
  1. A person who spends too much time contemplating what to do may miss a valuable but fleeting opportunity.

    Synonyms: carpe diem

Synonyms & antonyms

proverbA person who spends too much time contemplating what to do may miss a valuable but fleeting opportunity.

Similar
carpe diem
Opposite
fools rush in where angels fear to treadlook before you leap
Also see
never put off until tomorrow what you can do todaythere's no time like the present
Cite this entry
APA

he who hesitates is lost. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/he%20who%20hesitates%20is%20lost

MLA

“he who hesitates is lost.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/he%20who%20hesitates%20is%20lost. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “he who hesitates is lost,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/he%20who%20hesitates%20is%20lost.

Source: he who hesitates is lost on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.