Time destroys all things.
Time destroys all things.
Meaning in plain English
The saying gives time the power to destroy everything. It expresses impermanence through an absolute claim.
Example
A curator considers what preservation a fragile object needs rather than assuming its condition will remain unchanged.
Deeper explanation and when to use it
All things makes the statement sweeping rather than a measured prediction. A qualified reading considers how a particular condition may change or cease without establishing that everything disappears on a known schedule. The supplied one-day gloss adds a deadline absent from the wording.
When to use it
Use it to discuss impermanence with the absolute force qualified.
Keep in mind
No universal destruction timetable or one-day deadline is established.
Edsverb editorial interpretation · agent reviewed · 2026-10-05. This explains the saying; it does not establish its historical origin.
- Source
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 837; PDF page 118
Reuse and collection notes ↗ - Attribution confidence
- traditional · supplied collection
Preserved as printed; independently unverified. - Historical coordinate
- Undated
No reliable date supplied by the collection. - Rights & edition
- Contributor-confirmed reuse permission
Translations and rights may differ elsewhere.
Provenance and licences ↗
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