100 Idioms About Patience and Persistence

No.	Item	Definition
1.	A watched pot never boils	Waiting feels longer when watching.
2.	Against all odds	Despite very low chances.
3.	All in good time	It will happen when ready.
4.	All things come to him	Patience brings eventual success.
5.	At your own pace	As fast as comfortable.
6.	Bide your time	Wait for the right moment.
7.	Bit by bit	Slowly, in small pieces.
8.	Bite the bullet	Face hardship with courage.
9.	Blood, sweat, and tears	Great effort and persistence.
10.	Burn the midnight oil	Work late into the night.
11.	By degrees	Gradually over time.
12.	Come what may	Whatever happens; persist.
13.	Cross that bridge later	Deal with it when needed.
14.	Dig in your heels	Refuse to change your mind.
15.	Don’t count your chickens	Don’t assume success early.
16.	Don’t give up	Keep trying; persist.
17.	Don’t hold your breath	Don’t expect it soon.
18.	Don’t lose heart	Don’t become discouraged.
19.	Don’t put the cart	Don’t do things out of order.
20.	Dot the i’s and t’s	Be thorough and careful.
21.	Easy does it	Go slowly and carefully.
22.	Everything in its time	Each thing happens when ready.
23.	Eyes on the prize	Focus on the goal.
24.	For better or worse	No matter what happens.
25.	Get your ducks in a row	Organize before acting.
26.	Give it time	Wait; it may improve.
27.	Go the extra mile	Make more effort than required.
28.	Go with the flow	Accept things and adapt.
29.	Good things take time	Worthwhile results require waiting.
30.	Grin and bear it	Endure something unpleasant.
31.	Hang in there	Persist through hardship.
32.	Hold on	Wait; don’t give up.
33.	Hold the line	Maintain position; don’t give in.
34.	Hold your horses	Slow down; be patient.
35.	Hope springs eternal	People keep hoping.
36.	Hurry up and wait	Wait after being rushed.
37.	If at first you don’t	Try again after failing.
38.	In due course	At the appropriate time.
39.	In for the long haul	Committed for a long time.
40.	In no hurry	Not rushed; patient.
41.	In the fullness of time	Eventually, after enough time.
42.	In the long run	Over a long period.
43.	In the pipeline	In progress; coming later.
44.	Keep at it	Persist with the effort.
45.	Keep on keeping on	Continue despite obstacles.
46.	Keep the faith	Stay hopeful and steady.
47.	Keep your chin up	Stay positive and persistent.
48.	Keep your hair on	Stay calm; be patient.
49.	Keep your head up	Stay confident despite setbacks.
50.	Keep your nose to	Work hard and persist.
51.	Keep your shirt on	Stay calm; don’t rush.
52.	Let it be	Don’t interfere; accept it.
53.	Let it run its course	Allow it to finish naturally.
54.	Let nature take its course	Allow events to unfold.
55.	Lie low	Stay hidden and wait.
56.	Little by little	Gradually, in small amounts.
57.	Look before you leap	Think before acting.
58.	Make haste slowly	Proceed quickly but carefully.
59.	Make hay while the sun	Use opportunities while available.
60.	More haste, less speed	Rushing can slow you down.
61.	Move heaven and earth	Do everything possible.
62.	Never say die	Refuse to quit.
63.	No pain, no gain	Effort brings results.
64.	Not out of the woods	Still in danger or trouble.
65.	Not overnight	Not quickly; takes time.
66.	On the back burner	Delayed for later attention.
67.	One step at a time	Proceed gradually and carefully.
68.	Patience is a virtue	Patience is an admirable quality.
69.	Play it by ear	Decide as things develop.
70.	Play the long game	Plan for long-term success.
71.	Practice makes perfect	Skill improves with repetition.
72.	Pull out all the stops	Use every possible effort.
73.	Put your shoulder to	Apply strong effort.
74.	Ride it out	Endure until it passes.
75.	Roll with the punches	Adapt and keep going.
76.	Rome wasn’t built in a day	Big achievements need time.
77.	Save it for a rainy day	Keep for future need.
78.	Sit tight	Wait without moving.
79.	Sleep on it	Decide after waiting.
80.	Slow and steady wins	Consistent effort beats haste.
81.	Stand your ground	Hold firm; don’t yield.
82.	Stay the course	Continue on the same path.
83.	Stick to your guns	Maintain your position firmly.
84.	Stick with it	Continue despite difficulty.
85.	Take a rain check	Postpone to another time.
86.	Take it easy	Relax; don’t rush.
87.	Take it one day at a time	Handle things gradually.
88.	Take your time	Don’t hurry; proceed slowly.
89.	Think it over	Consider carefully before acting.
90.	Third time’s the charm	Success may come on third try.
91.	Time heals all wounds	Pain lessens with time.
92.	Time will tell	The truth will emerge later.
93.	Try, try again	Keep attempting after failure.
94.	Wait and see	Be patient before deciding.
95.	Wait in the wings	Be ready while waiting.
96.	Wait your turn	Be patient for your chance.
97.	Weather the storm	Survive a difficult period.
98.	When the going gets tough	Strong people persist under pressure.
99.	When the time is right	At the best moment.
100.	Where there’s a will	Determination finds a way.