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He who hesitates is lost

Cultural  
  1. A person who spends too much time deliberating about what to do loses the chance to act altogether.


he who hesitates is lost Idioms  
  1. 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.”


Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

He who hesitates is lost. Procrastination is the thief of time.

From Salon

Here in very truth is a case where "he who hesitates is lost!"

From Project Gutenberg

You know ‘he who hesitates is lost’—in this case, loses a great bargain.

From Project Gutenberg

He who hesitates is lost, they say.

From Project Gutenberg

I stood a second or two undecided whether to go or stay, and "he who hesitates is lost."

From Project Gutenberg