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

As an English teacher, rather than some high-falutin’ university boss, he was quietly calling for carpe diem.

From New York Times

Like a variation on the local notion, “the mountain’s out,” the brand embodies a carpe diem attitude.

From Seattle Times

A dire bout with esophageal cancer, with its attendant brutal treatments and radical reprioritization of life, seemed to force memento mori and carpe diem into an urgent competition for dominance — and the latter clearly won.

From Washington Post

Still, she wrote, “the message of ‘Rent’ isn’t just a glib carpe diem but a resounding declaration of ‘stand with your community despite’ and ‘make art despite.’

From New York Times

But it’s his secret office nickname, discovered by Williams in this achingly poignant drama of regret, that best characterizes the film’s theme of carpe diem: Mr. Zombie.

From Washington Post

More About Carpe Diem

What does carpe diem mean?

Carpe diem is a Latin phrase meaning “seize the day.” The saying is used to encourage someone to make the most of the present rather than dwelling on the future.

Where does carpe diem come from?

Carpe diem comes from the first-century BCE Odes of the Roman poet Horace. In Book 1 Poem 11, Horace writes “carpe diem quam minimum credula postero,” variously translated as “seize the day, and have little trust in the next one.”

Though commonly taken as “seize,” the Latin carpe originally means “to gather or pluck” and diem “day,” making carpe diem suggest “enjoy the present while it is ripe.” On its own, carpe diem is recorded in English in 1817 in the letters of another famed poet, Lord Byron.

Thanks to the impact of Horace on Western literature and the place of his poetry in Western education, coupled with the profound sense of his sentiment, carpe diem became a widely quoted expression. It inspired a whole genre of poetry of its own, carpe diem poems, especially popular in England in the 17th century as meditations on the transience of life and calls to embrace its goodness and beauty while you can.

Fast forward through countless carpe diem quotes to the 1989 film Dead Poets Society. In the movie, a teacher (Robin Williams) inspires his purpose-hungry students by teaching them the phrase and its life-loving imperative, “because we are food for worms, lads.”

How is carpe diem used in real life?

In everyday speech and writing, people use carpe diem as a motto or mantra for living life to the fullest. Of course, the flip side is that people may also use carpe diem to justify not taking responsibility.

Outside poetry and film, carpe diem is also popular as a lyric or title for songs, ranging from Metallica’s 1997 “Carpe Diem Baby” to the closing number, “Carpe Diem,” in a 2011 episode of the cartoon Phineas and Ferb.

The modern phrase YOLO (You Only Live Once) is considered a new version of carpe diem.

https://twitter.com/Homa10i/status/1006136102426759168

Carpe diem is such a widely recognized phrase that people often riff on it (e.g., carpe beerum—mock Latin for “seize the beer”), or make silly puns on it (e.g., carpet diem—”seize the carpet”).

More examples of carpe diem:

“BYOB house parties (and sappy, inconsequential flirtations at said parties). Dance-offs at open-air bars. Egregious swipe-rights in the name of carpe diem. And wine. So much wine.”
—Sidney Madden, National Public Radio, June, 2018

Note

This content is not meant to be a formal definition of this term. Rather, it is an informal summary that seeks to provide supplemental information and context important to know or keep in mind about the term’s history, meaning, and usage.