proverb · Words worth keeping
Sorrow will wear away in time.
Sorrow will wear away in time.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
Sorrow may change or become less overwhelming with time. Wearing away pictures a gradual easing rather than an instant end.
What the words are saying
The saying gives time a slow effect on distress. It can offer hope that an intense feeling need not remain exactly as it is now. It should not be used to prescribe a deadline for grief or imply that waiting alone is enough. Memories, support and circumstances can shape how someone lives with a loss. A careful use allows change without demanding that the person forget or stop speaking about it.
Everyday example
Someone notices that a painful memory still matters but no longer fills every part of the day.
When to use it
Use it to express hope for gradual change in sorrow without imposing a timetable.
What it does not mean
Grief has no universal schedule, and support may still be needed.
Agent-assisted editorial interpretation. This explains the words; it does not by itself verify their author or 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
- Historical period not yet established
No sufficiently supported historical placement has been established. Import and download dates are not treated as composition dates. - Recorded source
- A Dictionary of English Proverbs and Proverbial Phrases
Entry 1474 · Sorrow
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English