Patience is a virtue, haste makes waste.

Meaning: It's better to take your time and do things carefully, rather than rushing and making mistakes.

Choice of Words: Patience is the ability to wait or endure something without getting upset or impatient. Virtue is a good moral quality or habit. Haste means excessive speed or urgency. Makes means to cause or create something. Waste is something that is not used or needed. When you put them together, the sentence means that it's better to be patient and take your time, because rushing things can lead to mistakes and wasted effort.

Alternative Expressions

Slow and steady wins the race.

Meaning: This means that it's better to do something at a slow but steady pace, rather than rushing and making mistakes.

Choice of Words: Slow means moving at a gentle pace, not quickly. Steady means happening in a regular and unchanging way. Wins means to be successful in a competition or game. Race means a competition where people try to get to the finish line first.

Look before you leap.

Meaning: This means that it's important to think about the consequences of your actions before you actually do something.

Choice of Words: Look means to use your eyes to see something. Before means earlier in time. Leap means to jump or move quickly from one place to another. This phrase is like saying, think about what you're going to do before you actually do it.

Related Expressions