“All good things must come to an end” is the proverb that reminds us no pleasure lasts forever. Here is what it means, where it comes from, how to use it, and a few sayings that share its bittersweet wisdom.
What Does “All Good Things Must Come to an End” Mean?
The proverb means that no enjoyable experience, however wonderful, can last forever — every good thing eventually finishes. A perfect holiday, a happy chapter of life, a golden run of luck: all of them must one day end. It is usually said with a touch of wistfulness, as a way of accepting the close of something we have loved, and sometimes as gentle encouragement to enjoy good things fully while they last.
Origin of the Proverb
The saying is old. Geoffrey Chaucer wrote that “all things must come to an end” in his poem Troilus and Criseyde around 1374, and by the fifteenth century the fuller form, specifying that it is the good things that end, was in use. The thought is so universally felt that the proverb has remained one of our most familiar ways of marking the close of something happy.
Examples in a Sentence
- “The holiday was perfect, but all good things must come to an end.”
- “As the festival closed, she sighed: all good things must come to an end.”
- “Their winning streak finally broke — all good things must come to an end.”
Similar Proverbs
- This too shall pass — neither good times nor bad last forever.
- Every party must break up — all gatherings come to a close.
- The scent of every flower is short-lived — beautiful things do not last.
- Nothing lasts forever — the plain truth behind the proverb.
For more sayings about time and life, see our time proverbs and the full library of proverbs and their meanings.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does “all good things must come to an end” mean?
It means that no enjoyable experience lasts forever — every good thing eventually finishes.
Where does the proverb come from?
It is old: Chaucer wrote “all things must come to an end” around 1374, and the fuller “good things” version was in use by the fifteenth century.
What is a similar proverb?
“This too shall pass” and “nothing lasts forever” share the same acceptance that no state of things endures.
