there's no time like the present

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

Now is an appropriate time to take a particular action.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Bây giờ là thời điểm thích hợp để thực hiện một hành động cụ thể

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

Near-synonyms: he who hesitates is lost, never put off until tomorrow what you can do today, procrastination is the thief of time

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 “there's no time like the present” mean?

Now is an appropriate time to take a particular action.

Is “there's no time like the present” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.