proverb · Words worth keeping
There is sleeping enough in the grave.
There is sleeping enough in the grave.
Historical period not yet established
Understand the thought
Meaning in plain English
The saying urges action by contrasting present life with the stillness of death. Its exaggeration should not be used to deny the need for rest.
What the words are saying
Sleep is assigned to the grave so that waking life seems a time to use rather than postpone. It can encourage attention to a meaningful task or experience while the opportunity exists. It does not make constant activity virtuous or establish that rest is wasted life. A careful reading asks what is worth doing and what pace is sustainable, without turning mortality into pressure to ignore real limits.
Everyday example
Someone chooses time for an activity they value while also leaving room for necessary rest.
When to use it
Use it as qualified encouragement to make room for worthwhile living.
What it does not mean
Rest is part of life; the saying is not sleep or health advice.
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 1450 · Sleeping
A collection's publication date can be later than the words it records.
- Culture
- English