'Make Hay While the Sun Shines': Definition, Meaning, Examples
If anyone's ever told you to 'make hay while the sun shines,' you've probably wondered what it meant. And with good reason. But don't worry; in this article, you'll learn the meaning of this popular idiom, its origins, and how to use it in a sentence.
If you just want the short version, here it is:
- To make hay while the sun shines means to take advantage of favorable conditions to accomplish something.
What Does 'Make Hay While the Sun Shines' Mean?
This expression is an idiom , and the thing about idioms is you can't interpret them literally. We aren't talking about actual hay or any sort of farming practice here; there's a metaphorical meaning.
The phrase "make hay while the sun shines" is an idiom that means to take advantage of the favorable conditions or opportunities that are currently available. The underlying message is to be proactive and make use of the advantageous conditions while they last.
Imagine, for example, that you've been thinking about buying a house, and the mortgage interest rates have recently decreased to an all-time low. You might say:
I don't know how long the interest rates will stay this way; I'd better make hay while the sun shines and get on the proeperty ladder now.
You can change the verb form because there's a verb in this idiom ('make'), although this isn't as common.
For example:
- makes (third-person singular)
- making ( present participle )
- made (past participle)
Where Does 'Make Hay While the Sun Shines' Come From?
The idiom 'Make hay while the sun shines' has agricultural origins and is rooted in the practice of making hay. The expression dates back to medieval times, and its usage can be traced to farming communities where haymaking was a crucial part of agricultural life.
The literal meaning of the phrase is tied to the process of haymaking. Farmers would cut grass to make hay, but the success of this activity heavily depended on weather conditions. The cut grass needed to dry quickly to produce good-quality hay, and sunny weather was essential. Rain or damp conditions could ruin the hay, making it moldy or less nutritious for livestock.
As you can imagine, as soon as the sun showed its face, farmers would rush to the fields to 'make hay while the sun shines' since they didn't know how long the favorable weather would last.
In print, it first appeared in John Heywood's A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue , a 1546 publication.
Examples in Sentences
Now that we've covered the meaning of this idiom and its origins, here are some example sentences that use it.
As I mentioned, it can occasionally be used with different verb forms; I'll also show you examples, including the third-person singular , present participle, and past participle .
Recognizing the lucrative market conditions, the savvy entrepreneur makes hay while the sun shines by launching a new product line. Realizing that her energy levels were high and motivation was strong, Emily decided to make hay while the sun shines and tackle all her pending tasks. The team recognized the opportunity to secure a major client, and they were determined to make hay while the sun shines by presenting a compelling proposal. Knowing that interest rates were low, the couple decided to make hay while the sun shines and buy their dream house before conditions changed. The student understood the importance of focused study sessions during exam season, deciding to make hay while the sun shines and maximize his preparation. The team is diligently working on their project, making hay while the sun shines, as they believe that the current favorable conditions in the industry won't last forever. Seeing the beautiful weather forecast for the weekend, the family planned a spontaneous picnic, deciding to make hay while the sun shines. Recognizing the potential for advancement, Sarah worked diligently on her projects, eager to make hay while the sun shines and impress her superiors. The coach encouraged the team to push harder during the crucial game, emphasizing the need to make hay while the sun shines and secure their spot in the playoffs. The wise investor made hay while the sun shines, selling his stocks at their peak value before the market took a downturn.
Other Ways to Say 'Make Hay While the Sun Shines'
There are plenty of other ways to tell someone to make the most of a situation. They 're great to use if you're looking for alternative phrases. A lot of these are also idioms in their own right. The most common one you may already know is the famous Latin saying Carpe Diem, which means 'Seize the day.'
Here are a few more:
- Strike while the iron is hot.
- Make the most of an opportunity.
- Make good use of your time/resources.
- Catch the tide.
- Time and tide wait for no man.
- Make use of every opportunity.
- Make the best of a situation.
- Jump at the chance.
- Grasp the opportunity.
Concluding Thoughts
That concludes this article about this popular idiom. To summarize, when someone tells you to 'make hay while the sun shines,' they're giving you good advice. They want to encourage you to make use of a good opportunity while you can.
Are you ready to learn more English phrases and expand your vocabulary? Check out our idioms blog for idioms, expressions, sayings, and more!
Learn More:
- 'Hit the Hay': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'You Can't Have Your Cake and Eat It Too': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Give Someone The Cold Shoulder': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Keep Your Chin Up': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Let Sleeping Dogs Lie’: Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Tie the Knot': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Give the Benefit of the Doubt': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Hold Your Horses': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'In the Nick of Time': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Keep Your Eyes Peeled': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Straight from the Horse's Mouth': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Play Your Cards Right': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Bite Your Tongue': Definition, Meaning, Examples
- 'Practice Makes Perfect': Definition, Meaning, Examples
We encourage you to share this article on Twitter and Facebook . Just click those two links - you'll see why.
It's important to share the news to spread the truth. Most people won't.
Add new comment Cancel reply
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.
Post Comment
We sent you SMS, for complete subscription please reply.
You are using an outdated browser. Please upgrade your browser or activate Google Chrome Frame to improve your experience.
Wonder of the Day #297
Why Do We Say "Make Hay While the Sun Shines"?
LANGUAGE ARTS — Languages
Have You Ever Wondered...
- Why do you say “make hay while the sun shines"?
- What is a proverb?
- How do you “seize the day"?
- opportunity ,
Have you ever been told to "make hay while the sun shines"? What does that even mean? You might not even be a farmer! Why would you want to make hay? And what does sunshine have to do with it?
“Make hay while the sun shines" is an old saying that's considered a proverb . A proverb is an old, usually short saying that communicates good advice or something true.
If you make hay while the sun shines, it means that you take advantage of the chance to do something while conditions are good. In other words, you make good use of your time or make the most of an opportunity while you have the chance.
The saying has been around for hundreds of years. It first appeared in 1546 in John Heywood's A dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the prouerbes in the Englishe tongue . Experts believe the phrase came from medieval English farmers.
Hundreds of years ago, it would take many days for farmers to cut, dry and gather hay. Today, it's much easier to make hay because of our modern machinery and weather forecasting.
Since hay can be ruined easily if it gets too wet, medieval farmers had to take advantage of hot, dry, sunny weather to cut and gather hay. Thus, “make hay while the sun shines" was just a matter of common sense to them.
They eventually began to use the phrase generally to mean to take advantage of circumstances before the chance slips away.
This proverb , like so many others, offers good advice . Opportunities may only come along every so often.
It's good to take stock of a situation and realize when an opportunity presents itself. If you can act on it before it slips away, you'll have made hay while the sun shone!
A similar idea can be communicated by the Latin phrase carpe diem , which is usually translated as “ seize the day." Those who use this phrase stress that the future is uncertain.
Since one never knows what the future may hold, take advantage of those opportunities that present themselves today. Make every second count!
Wonder What's Next?
Grab a brush and an easel. Tomorrow’s Wonder of the Day will be berry inspirational!
Ready to seize the moment? What opportunities are available to you today? Spend some time today thinking about how you can best make use of your time.
Even better, do some planning for the future. Can you come up with five ideas of things you could do to take advantage of these “opportunities"?
If you came up with some really good ideas for how best to use your time in these situations, email or send them to us. We'd love to share them with others!
Wonderopolis HQ 325 West Main Street, Suite 300 Louisville, KY 40202-4237
- A rainy day
- A cancelled school day because of snow
- A rescheduled soccer game
- A long drive in the car to a relative's house
- Waiting while your brother or sister sees the doctor
Did you get it?
Wonder words.
- opportunity
- circumstances
Good question! It doesn't seem like Heywood invented it, he was just the first to record in writing. Like a lot of common expressions, it can be very hard to trace back to one single person as the originator. Pretty fascinating to wonder what phrases are being developed now that will last for hundreds of years!
Madeleine edwards
Excellent! Thanks for sharing what you learned, Madeleine! Wonder with us again soon!
That's right, Ella! Thanks so much for sharing what you learned! Hope to hear from you again soon!
Welcome, keitis! We're THRILLED you're WONDERing with us! There is a new Wonder of the Day every day you can explore! Also, all the Wonders are archived in the Explore Wonders section. Have fun WONDERing! :)
Wonderopolis
Hi corrinn! Great comments about this WONDER. Thanks for sharing! :)
Hey there, Brandon, thanks for asking! It sounds like you've learned something new at Wonderopolis and we're so glad to hear it! You can quote Wonderopolis as the author and the date: Jul 27, 2011. What is your assignment about, Brandon? :)
Hi, Rosie! Thanks so much for sharing this information with everyone in Wonderopolis! Safety is very important when operating farm machinery at any age, but especially when children are present and/or participating. We appreciate your concern and willingness to post this comment!
Hi, Sheila! We're glad you enjoyed today's Wonder of the Day®! Thanks so much for hanging out in Wonderopolis today and for leaving a comment! :-)
Cecile C Pelaez
Thanks so much for visiting Wonderopolis and leaving this GREAT comment, Cecile! We can't wait to meet new Wonder Friends when your class visits in the fall! :-)
Meredith/MC
We LOVE that you learned something new today, Meredith! We also LOVE that you always use your thinking cap to try and guess the next day's Wonder! You are a GREAT Wonder Friend! :-)
We are undergoing some spring clearing site maintenance and need to temporarily disable the commenting feature. Thanks for your patience.
Related Wonders for You to Explore
Who Was Elie Wiesel?
Who Was Paul Laurence Dunbar?
When Do You Use a Thesaurus?
Does “I” Always Come Before “E”?
What Is a Doppelgänger?
Drag a word to its definition
Select a Wonder Word:
Match its definition:
Congratulations!
You’ve matched all of the definitions correctly.
Share results
Spread the joy of wonder, get your wonder daily.
Subscribe to Wonderopolis and receive the Wonder of the Day® via email or SMS
Join the Buzz
Don’t miss our special deals, gifts and promotions. Be the first to know!
Share with the World
Tell everybody about Wonderopolis and its wonders.
Share Wonderopolis
Wonderopolis widget.
Interested in sharing Wonderopolis® every day? Want to add a little wonder to your website? Help spread the wonder of families learning together.
You Got It!
http://www.wonderopolis.org/wonder/why-do-you-say-make-hay-while-the-sun-shines
© National Center for Families Learning (NCFL)
Phrase Finder
- Make hay while the sun shines
What's the meaning of the phrase 'Make hay while the sun shines'?
Make the most of one’s opportunities while you have the chance.
What's the origin of the phrase 'Make hay while the sun shines'?
This proverb is first recorded in John Heywood’s A Dialogue conteinyng the nomber in effect of all the Prouerbes in the Englishe tongue , 1546:
Whan the sunne shinth make hay. Whiche is to say. Take time whan time cometh, lest time steale away.
A similar notion is expressed in The Bible, in Proverbs 10:5 :
He that gathereth in summer is a wise son: but he that sleepeth in harvest is a son that causeth shame.
English translations of The Bible don’t use the expression ‘make hay while the sun shines’ and they didn’t appear until after 1546 anyway. If the person who coined the proverb in English was copying an idea from earlier versions of The Bible we can’t be sure of. What we can say is that, as far as English is concerned, the phrase originated in Tudor England.
Of course, medieval farmers would be as well aware of the wisdom of not leaving it too late to gather one’s hay. Modern machinery and weather forecasting make haymaking reasonably quick and stress-free. Tudor farmers would have taken several days to cut, dry and gather their hay and would have had only folk rhymes like ‘ red sky at night ‘ to guide them. Forecasting the weather two or three says in advance wouldn’t have been possible, so all the more reason for them to ‘make hay while the sun shines’.
The proverb, like all proverbs, was extended to life in general and it quickly became a cliche. As early as 1673 it was cited in a figurative, that is, non-farming, context, in Richard Head’s glossary of the language of theives and beggars The Canting Academy :
She … was resolv’d … to make Hay whilest the Sun shin’d.
See also: the List of Proverbs .
Related phrases and meanings
- The natural world
- The proverbs of John Heywood
Browse more Phrases
- Make an ass of yourself
- Make him an offer he can’t refuse
- Make my day
About the Author
Gary Martin
Phrases & Meanings
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T UV W XYZ
American Animals Australian Bible Body Colour Conflict Death Devil Dogs Emotions Euphemism Family Fashion Food French Horses ‘Jack’ Luck Money Military Music Names Nature Nautical Numbers Politics Religion Shakespeare Stupidity Entertainment Weather Women Work
How did we do?
Have you spotted something that needs updated on this page? We review all feedback we receive to ensure that we provide the most accurate and up to date information on phrases.