Meanings
- A sardonic curse disguised as well-wishing, where interesting times refers to trouble.
Origin
Popularly attributed to Chinese, but this is apocryphal; the true origin is unclear. Its closest Chinese equivalent is 寧為太平犬，不做亂世人 ("better to be a dog in times of tranquility than a human in times of chaos"). Its earliest known use is in 1936 by Hughe Knatchbull-Hugessen, British ambassador to China, who purported hearing the phrase. See May you live in interesting times § Origins on Wikipedia.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
may you live in interesting times. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/may%20you%20live%20in%20interesting%20times
“may you live in interesting times.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/may%20you%20live%20in%20interesting%20times. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “may you live in interesting times,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/may%20you%20live%20in%20interesting%20times.
Source: may you live in interesting times on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.