carpe diem

American  

[kahr-pe dee-em, kahr-pee dahy-uhm, kahr-pey dee-uhm] / ˈkɑr pɛ ˈdi ɛm, ˈkɑr pi ˈdaɪ əm, ˈkɑr peɪ ˈdi əm /

1. Latin. seize the day; enjoy the present, as opposed to placing all hope in the future.

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carpe diem British  

/ ˈkɑːpɪ ˈdiːɛm /

1. enjoy the pleasures of the moment, without concern for the future

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Carpe diem Cultural  

1. Latin for “Seize the day”: take full advantage of present opportunities. This sentiment is found not only in classical literature but in much of English literature as well (see “Gather ye rosebuds while ye may” and “Had we but world enough, and time, / This coyness, Lady, were no crime.”)

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carpe diem Idioms  

1. Enjoy the present and don't worry about the future, as in It's a beautiful day, so forget tomorrow's test—carpe diem! Latin for “seize the day,” an aphorism found in the Roman writer Horace's Odes, this phrase has been used in English since the early 1800s.

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Usage

What does carpe diem mean? Carpe diem is a Latin phrase meaning "seize the day." The saying is used to encourage someone to make the most of the present rather than dwelling on the future.

Etymology

Origin of carpe diem

First recorded in 1815–20; literally, “pluck (the fruit of) the day,” from Horace's Odes (1.9)

Example Sentences

The girl’s name comes from carpe diem, as in Kenna’s vow to seize the child she never got to hold, but the script has the restraint not to make a big standing-on-a-desk speech about that.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 12, 2026

Like a variation on the local notion, “the mountain’s out,” the brand embodies a carpe diem attitude.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 19, 2023

A tattoo in Latin on his right arms reads "carpe diem", or "seize the day".

From BBC • Sep. 26, 2022

Given the calculated sharpness of the rest of the musical, especially regarding the commercialism of Broadway, such a carpe diem song feels out of place.

From New York Times • Apr. 26, 2022

This Turkish poet’s maxim, it will be observed, was “enjoy the present day”—the carpe diem of Horace, the genial old pagan.

From Flowers from a Persian Garden and Other Papers by Clouston, William Alexander