# slow and steady wins the race

idiom · CEFR B1

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/slow-and-steady-wins-the-race
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

Reliability is more important than speed

## Examples

- I take my time because slow and steady wins the race.
- You should not rush your homework; remember that slow and steady wins the race if you want a good grade.
- While his competitors burned out by working through the night, his consistent and careful approach proved that slow and steady wins the race in the long run.

## Origin

The moral of Aesop's fable 'The Tortoise and the Hare'; this English phrasing comes from Robert Lloyd's 1762 poem 'The Hare and the Tortoise'. (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.