heɪst meɪks weɪst
Time
neutral
beginner
- Literally:
- Rushing causes wasteful results
What does "haste makes waste" mean?
- Doing things too quickly leads to mistakes and wasted effort
- Taking time produces better results than rushing
Examples
- Take your time with the report—haste makes waste.
- I rushed and made errors; haste makes waste, as they say.
- Remember, haste makes waste. Better to be careful.
Origin
A proverb dating back to at least the 14th century, emphasizing that rushing leads to errors that require more time to fix than doing it carefully the first time.
How to use it
A traditional proverb advising patience. Often used after someone makes mistakes by rushing.
Similar expressions
more haste less speed
slow and steady wins the race
Opposites
strike while the iron is hot
seize the moment
Related idioms
- in the long run
Over a long period of time
- better late than never
It's better to do something late than not to do it at all
- from time to time
occasionally, not regularly
- in the nick of time
Just in time; at the last possible moment
- run out of time
to have no more time left to do something
- time flies when you're having fun
Enjoyable moments seem to pass quickly
Use it in a practice answer
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