carpe diem

[ kahr-pe dee-em; English kahr-pee dahy-uhm, kahr-pey dee-uhm ]

1. Latin. seize the day; enjoy the present, as opposed to placing all hope in the future.

carpe diem

/ ˈkɑːpɪ ˈdiːɛm /

(no translation)

1. enjoy the pleasures of the moment, without concern for the future

Carpe diem

1. Latin for “Seize the day”: take full advantage of present opportunities. This sentiment is found not only in classical literature but in much of English literature as well ( see “ Gather ye rosebuds while ye may ” and “ Had we but world enough, and time, / This coyness, Lady, were no crime .”)

Word History and Origins

Origin of carpe diem¹

First recorded in 1815–20; literally, “pluck (the fruit of) the day,” from Horace's Odes (1.9)

Word History and Origins

Origin of carpe diem¹

literally: seize the day!

Idioms and Phrases

Enjoy the present and don't worry about the future, as in It's a beautiful day, so forget tomorrow's test—carpe diem! Latin for “seize the day,” an aphorism found in the Roman writer Horace's Odes , this phrase has been used in English since the early 1800s.

Example Sentences

His motto was "Carpe diem," and he carefully contrived to live down to it.

From Project Gutenberg

He plucks the present—carpe diem, as Horace sings, and never for an instant troubles himself about the future.

From Project Gutenberg

In the mountains, as we are thus again shown, carpe diem is a wise blazon.

From Project Gutenberg

At one time, not very long before the moment of attack, I felt to its intensest depth the truth of the proverb, "Carpe diem."

From Project Gutenberg

He understands the epicurean precept of 'carpe diem' in a sense more befitting to human dignity.

From Project Gutenberg