"She asked for the meeting every week until they agreed — constant dripping wears away the stone."
fair and softly goes far in a day/fˈɛɹ ænd sˈɔftli ɡoʊz fˈɑːɹ ɪn ɐ dˈeɪ/sentence
used to highlight the idea that consistent and steady progress can lead to significant accomplishments over time
"Slow and careful progress covers great distance — fair and softly goes far in a day."
"He moved methodically through the problem and resolved it completely — fair and softly goes far in a day."
fake it (till|until) you (finally|) make it/fˈeɪk ɪt tˈɪl ɔːɹ ʌntˈɪl juː fˈaɪnəli ɔːɹ mˈeɪk ɪt/sentence
used to suggest that by pretending to possess desired qualities or abilities, one can eventually develop those qualities or abilities for real
"Act confident until you become confident — fake it until you make it."
"She walked into the boardroom terrified but composed — fake it until you finally make it."
genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains/dʒˈiːnɪəs ɪz ɐn ˈɪnfɪnət kəpˈæsɪɾi fɔːɹ tˈeɪkɪŋ pˈeɪnz/sentence
used to emphasize that true genius is not solely dependent on natural talent, but also on the ability to consistently put in effort and hard work to achieve excellence
"Genius is the capacity for extreme effort — genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains."
"Her work looked effortless because of the enormous effort behind it — genius is an infinite capacity for taking pains."
if at first you do not succeed, try, try again/ɪf æt fˈɜːst juː duːnˌɑːt səksˈiːd tɹˈaɪ tɹˈaɪ ɐɡˈɛn/sentence
used to encourage individuals to continue trying even after experiencing failure or setbacks, with the belief that persistence and resilience are key to achieving success
"You failed the test, but try again — if at first you do not succeed, try, try again."
"The product launch failed twice before it succeeded — if at first you do not succeed, try, try again."
used to imply that by actively searching for something, one can eventually discover what they are looking for, emphasizing the importance of being persistent and proactive in pursuing one's goals or desires
"Keep looking and you will find — seek and you shall find."
"She searched every source until she found the evidence she needed — seek and ye shall find."
slow and steady wins the race/slˈoʊ ænd stˈɛdi wˈɪnz ðə ɹˈeɪs/sentence
used to imply that consistent and persistent effort, even if it appears slow, is more likely to lead to success in a sustainable and efficient way
"Consistency beats speed — slow and steady wins the race."
"He submitted work every single week without fail and finished top — slow and steady wins the race."
the third time pays for all/ðə θˈɜːd tˈaɪm pˈeɪz fɔːɹ ˈɔːl/sentence
used to encourage individuals to not give up after initial failures, and to keep trying until they achieve success
"Persistence eventually pays off — the third time pays for all."
"He had failed twice before but the third attempt succeeded — the third time pays for all."
the used key is always bright/ðə jˈuːzd kˈiː ɪz ˈɔːlweɪz bɹˈaɪt/sentence
said to suggest that through frequent use, something, such as a skill or object, can remain in good condition and work effectively for a long time
"Things stay sharp when used regularly — the used key is always bright."
"Her skills stayed strong because she applied them constantly — the used key is always bright."
use it or lose it/jˈuːs ɪt ɔːɹ lˈuːz ɪt/sentence
used to imply that if something is not used or practiced, it will be forgotten or taken away
"Keep practising your language skills — use it or lose it."
"She warned her students that use it or lose it applies to vocabulary just as much as grammar."
custom makes all things easy/kˈʌstəm mˌeɪks ˈɔːl θˈɪŋz ˈiːzi/sentence
used to suggest that when we develop a habit or routine of doing something repeatedly, it becomes easier and more effortless over time
"Repetition makes things easy — custom makes all things easy."
"After a hundred repetitions the process felt effortless — custom makes all things easy."
dogs bark, but the caravan goes on/dˈɑːɡz bˈɑːɹk bˌʌt ðə kˈæɹɐvˌæn ɡoʊz ˈɑːn/sentence
used to imply that one should not be discouraged by negative influences or setbacks and should remain focused on their goals and continue to move forward
"Progress continues regardless of opposition — dogs bark, but the caravan goes on."
"Critics attacked every decision, but the project moved forward — dogs bark, but the caravan goes on."
little strokes fell great oaks/lˈɪɾəl stɹˈoʊks fˈɛl ɡɹˈeɪt ˈoʊks/sentence
used to emphasize the idea that small, continuous actions or efforts can eventually lead to significant achievements or outcomes
"Persistent small efforts achieve big things — little strokes fell great oaks."
"She chipped away at the problem daily until it was solved — little strokes fell great oaks."
practice makes perfect/pɹˈæktɪs mˌeɪks pˈɜːfɛkt/sentence
used to imply that regular and persistent practice of a skill or activity is necessary in order to become proficient or skilled at it
"Keep practising every day — practice makes perfect."
"She rehearsed the presentation dozens of times before delivering it flawlessly — practice makes perfect."
Learn all 19 words in this list with spaced repetition