carpe diem

[ kahr-pe dee-em; English kahr-pee dahy-uhm, kahr-pey dee-uhm ]
See synonyms for carpe diem on Thesaurus.com
  1. Latin. seize the day; enjoy the present, as opposed to placing all hope in the future.

Origin of carpe diem

1
First recorded in 1815–20; literally, “pluck (the fruit of) the day,” from Horace's Odes (1.9)

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use carpe diem in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for carpe diem

carpe diem

/ Latin (ˈkɑːpɪ ˈdiːɛm) /


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

Origin of carpe diem

1
literally: seize the day!

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Carpe diem

Carpe diem

[ (kahr-pe dee-em, deye-em) ]


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 (seeGather ye rosebuds while ye mayandHad we but world enough, and time, / This coyness, Lady, were no crime.”)

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Other Idioms and Phrases with carpe diem

carpe diem

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.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.