nothing gold can stay
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Meaning · English
Nothing good lasts forever.
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
Nature's first green is gold,
Her hardest hue to hold.
Her early leaf's a flower;
But only so an hour.
Then leaf subsides to leaf.
So Eden sank to grief,
So dawn goes down to day.
Nothing gold can stay.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “nothing gold can stay” mean?
Nothing good lasts forever.
Is “nothing gold can stay” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.