he who hesitates is lost
he who hesitates (is lost)
proverb Those who fail to take quick, decisive action will suffer for it or miss a good opportunity. A: "If only I'd invested in that company when they started up, I'd be a millionaire by now!" B: "Well, he who hesitates is lost." A: "You could have mitigated your losses if you'd dealt with the problem right away, but—" B: "Yeah, yeah, he who hesitates. I know."
See also: he, hesitate, who
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.
He who hesitates is lost.
Prov. People should act decisively. Jill: Should I apply for that job? At first I thought I definitely should, but now I don't know.... Jane: She who hesitates is lost. Call that girl and ask her out. Call her right now. He who hesitates is lost.
See also: he, hesitate, lost, who
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.
he who hesitates is lost
One who cannot come to a decision will suffer for it, as in I couldn't make up my mind, and now the offer has expired-he who hesitates is lost. Although the idea is undoubtedly older, the present wording is a misquotation or an adaptation from Joseph Addison's play Cato (1712): "The woman that deliberates is lost."
See also: he, hesitate, lost, who
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
- teach a man to fish
- it takes a village
- village
- bigger they are, the harder they fall
- bigger they come, the harder they fall, the
- best-laid plans go astray, the
- the best-laid plans
- the best-laid plans go astray
- the best-laid plans of mice and men
- for want of a nail