proverb · Words worth keeping
Prettiness dies quickly.
Prettiness dies quickly.
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
An appeal based mainly on appearance can be temporary. The saying invites attention to qualities that may outlast an immediate visual impression.
Example
A group chooses an item for its lasting usefulness rather than only for the novelty of its decoration.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
Prettiness is pictured as something with a short life, making its charm seem less reliable than a lasting quality. The phrase can prompt a reader to consider usefulness, care or character alongside presentation. Its absolute wording does not mean that beauty must disappear quickly or that enjoying it is foolish. Applied to people, it should not become an insult about age or a demand to meet someone else’s preferences. A careful reading concerns what an appearance-only judgment overlooks.
When to use it
Use it to question a decision based solely on immediate visual appeal.
Keep in mind
Appearance and ageing do not determine a person’s worth.
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