proverb · Words worth keeping
Haste makes waste.
Haste makes waste.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying makes haste produce waste. It warns that rushing may undermine the result or require work to be done again.
What the words are saying
The rhyme makes the cause-and-result claim memorable. A qualified application can concern taking enough care for a particular task, while recognising that timely action can also be necessary. The words do not establish that every fast action is careless or every slow method efficient.
Everyday example
A team checks a critical detail before sending work rather than rushing into a preventable correction.
When to use it
Use it to discuss appropriate care under time pressure.
What it does not mean
Speed does not always cause waste, and delay can also be costly.
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 105; PDF page 19
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.