live and learn

idiom

Meaning

I made a mistake

Origin

first recorded 16th c.

English proverb attested since the 16th century (George Gascoigne, 1575).

Examples

SIMPLE

I bought the wrong size, but I guess I live and learn.

CONTEXTUAL

I trusted that cheap website with my credit card and lost my money; well, live and learn.

COMPLEX

After the investment failed due to his lack of research, he simply shrugged and remarked that one must live and learn from such costly errors.

Last updated June 7, 2026