so it goes

phrase

An expression of acceptance of misfortune.

“Near-synonyms: that's the way life is, that's life, such is life, it is what it is; see also Thesaurus:that's life”

Similar
that's the way it goesthat's the way the ball bouncesthat's the way the cookie crumblesthat's the way life isthat's lifesuch is lifeit is what it isc'est la vie
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Meanings

phrase
  1. An expression of acceptance of misfortune.

    Near-synonyms: that's the way life is, that's life, such is life, it is what it is; see also Thesaurus:that's life

    1 more example

    His mother was incinerated in the Dresden fire-storm. So it goes.

    1969 March 31, Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., chapter 1, in Slaughterhouse-Five […] (A Seymour Lawrence Book), New York, N.Y.: Delacorte Press, →OCLC, page 1

    Synonyms: that's the way it goes, that's the way the ball bounces, that's the way the cookie crumbles, that's the way life is, that's life, such is life, it is what it is, c'est la vie

Synonyms & antonyms

phraseAn expression of acceptance of misfortune.

Similar
that's the way it goesthat's the way the ball bouncesthat's the way the cookie crumblesthat's the way life isthat's lifesuch is lifeit is what it isc'est la vieit is as it isit is how it isit is what it islife's a bitchshit happensso be itso is lifesuch is lifethat's lifethat's that and this is thisthat's the way it goes
Also see
c'est la vieit is what it islife's a bitchshit happensso be itsuch is lifethat's lifethat's the way it goesthem's the breaks
Cite this entry
APA

so it goes. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/so%20it%20goes

MLA

“so it goes.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/so%20it%20goes. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “so it goes,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/so%20it%20goes.

Source: so it goes on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.