# make hay while the sun shines

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/make-hay-while-the-sun-shines
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To act while an opportunity exists; to take action while a situation is favorable.

## Examples

- Prices are low now, so make hay while the sun shines.
- The store is busy during the holiday season, so we should make hay while the sun shines and increase our sales.
- Recognizing that the current market conditions were temporary, the investors decided to make hay while the sun shines by expanding their portfolio before the economy slowed down.

## Origin

16th-century English farming proverb (Heywood, 1546): cut hay must dry in the sun, so farmers worked while the weather held. (disputed)

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.