proverb · Words worth keeping
Better late thrive than never do well.
Better late thrive than never do well.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying prefers thriving late to never doing well. It values a delayed improvement over its complete absence.
What the words are saying
Thrive concerns a favourable development rather than any late action at all. A qualified interpretation can encourage a worthwhile attempt without promising success or excusing harmful delay. The supplied broader late-versus-never gloss is one application, not a guarantee.
Everyday example
Someone considers a worthwhile new attempt without judging its value solely by when it begins.
When to use it
Use it to discuss delayed progress with the result unpromised.
What it does not mean
A late attempt does not guarantee thriving or make every delay acceptable.
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
- Contributor-provided proverb reference
Supplied reference A; unit 734; PDF page 105
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.