proverb · Words worth keeping
Marry in haste, repent at leisure.
Marry in haste, repent at leisure.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An important commitment made without enough thought can leave difficult consequences later. The marriage image warns about rushed agreement, without claiming that quick decisions always fail or that an unhappy commitment must be endured.
Example
Two friends consider sharing a studio and discuss access, costs and how either could leave before signing up, rather than deciding during an excited afternoon visit.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Haste belongs to the decision, while leisure belongs to the longer period in which its consequences become clear. The contrast makes a brief rush look small beside the time spent living with what was agreed. Marriage is the concrete commitment named, but the image can also prompt care with other lasting arrangements. The saying cannot predict the outcome of any particular relationship from how quickly it began. Nor does regret establish what a person must do next. Its useful reading asks what needs to be understood before agreeing and makes room for changing circumstances, consent and honest reconsideration afterwards.
When to use it
Use it when enthusiasm is pushing a lasting commitment ahead of necessary discussion.
Keep in mind
Decision speed does not predict a relationship’s outcome; regret never requires remaining in an unsafe or unwanted arrangement.
An interpretation of the words, not a claim about their earliest origin.
Attribution & collection notes
- Author or tradition
- Traditional
Attribution: traditional - Country attributed
- Not established
A country attribution does not establish the earliest origin. - Historical period
- Date unknown
- Culture
- English