famous last words

Idioms  

1. A phrase used to express disbelief, rejection, or self-deprecation. For example, They said we'd get an extra bonus at Christmas—famous last words! or This book is bound to make the best-seller list—famous last words! This expression alludes to grandiose statements about human affairs that prove to be untrue, such as “This is the war to end all wars,” or “We must make the world safe for democracy.” [Late 1930s]

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Example Sentences

Thirty-odd millennia into the future, those are still famous last words.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2023

It may also be a missive to their fans and closes with what will become Townshend’s most famous last words since his “I saw ya!” at the end of “Magic Bus.”

From Washington Times • Dec. 6, 2019

The quotation is from Pound’s “Blandula, Tenula, Vagula,” a poem inspired by the famous last words of Emperor Hadrian.

From The New Yorker • Nov. 4, 2019

Spoken before the Knicks’ season ended on Wednesday night, Mike Woodson’s famous last words will be recalled as: “I’m the only guy for this job.”

From New York Times • Apr. 21, 2014

Those were famous last words if I had ever heard them.

From "The Darkest Minds" by Alexandra Bracken

Related Words

• farewell