Idiom idiom
gather rosebuds
Meaning
To enjoy life's immediate pleasures; to behave in a relaxed, carefree manner.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Examples
“You should gather rosebuds while you are young.”
“Instead of worrying about his career, he decided to travel and gather rosebuds for a few months.”
“The poet urged his readers to gather rosebuds, reminding them that time passes quickly and youth does not last forever.”
Origin
From the first line of "To the Virgins, to Make Much of Time" (inspired by Wisdom 2:8) by Robert Herrick (1591-1674): :: Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, :: Old time is still a-flying; :: And this same flower that smiles today :: Tomorrow will be dying.
Anchors to
Last updated August 10, 2026