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Words, grammatical forms and meanings linked to the ontology.

better late than never en · X

Pronunciation

  • (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

Perhaps a calque of Latin potius sero quam numquam from the 4th book of Ab Urbe condita (History of Rome) by Titus Livius, around 27 BC.

Meanings

  1. It is better to do something late, than to never do it at all.
    • [after seeing the ghost of the Titanic arrive in New York Harbor] Well, better late than never. 1989 June 16, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, directed by Ivan Reitman, Ghostbusters II, spoken by Dock Supervisor (Cheech Marin):

Relateds

better safe than sorry

Translations (55)

sv bättre sent än aldrig (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · ar أَن يَأْتِي مُتَأَخِّرًا خَيْر مِن أَلَّا يَأْتِي أَبَدًا (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · ga is fearr déanaí ná ródhéanaí (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · hu jobb későn, mint soha (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · sl bolje pozno kot nikoli (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · cs lepší pozdě než nikdy (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · cmn 亡羊補牢 /亡羊补牢 (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · hi जब जाति तब सवेरे (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · ga is fearr go mall ná go brách (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · ca més val tard que no mai (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · nb bedre sent enn aldri (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · vi muộn còn hơn không (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · ga is fearr go deireanach ná go brách (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · de besser spät als nie (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · vi có còn hơn không (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · eo pli bone malfrue ol neniam (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · ja 遅くてもやらないよりまし (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · ru лу́чше по́здно, чем никогда́ (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · kk ештен кеш жақсы (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · eu hobe da berandu sekula baino (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · br gwelloc'h diwezhat eget gwech ebet (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · cmn 遲做總比不做好 /迟做总比不做好 (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · la potiusque sero quam numquam (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · it meglio tardi che mai (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · nl beter laat dan nooit (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · uk кра́ще пі́зно, ніж ніко́ли (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · tr geç olsun da güç olmasın (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · pt mais vale tarde do que nunca (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · sq më mirë vonë se kurrë (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · vi thà trễ còn hơn không (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · nn betre seint enn aldri (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · ka სჯობს გვიან ვიდრე არასდროს (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · pt antes tarde do que nunca (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · fa دیر آید و شیر آید (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · ko 늦더라도 안 하는 것보다는 낫다 (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · es nunca es tarde si la dicha es buena (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · la potius sero quam numquam (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · da bedre sent end aldrig (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · et parem hilja kui mitte kunagi (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · mhr кызыт огыл гын, лучо вара (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · he עדיף מאוחר מאשר לעולם לא (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · el κάλλιο αργά παρά ποτέ (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · tk hiçden giç ýagşy (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · ur دیر آئے درست آئے (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · bg по-добре късно отколкото никога (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · pl lepiej późno niż później (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · az tez gecdən yaxşıdır, gec isə heçdən yaxşıdır (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · nb bedre seint enn aldri (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · pl lepiej późno niż wcale (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · fi parempi myöhään kuin ei milloinkaan (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · cy gwell rhywbryd na byth (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · hy լավ է ուշ, քան երբեք (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · ro mai bine mai târziu decât niciodată (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · es más vale tarde que nunca (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all) · fr mieux vaut tard que jamais (it's better to do something late, than to never do it at all)