stop and smell the roses
To relax; to take time out of one's busy schedule to enjoy or appreciate the beauty of life.
Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
“You work too hard — stop and smell the roses.”
“She took early retirement so she could finally stop and smell the roses with her grandchildren.”
“Caught in the relentless pursuit of success, he forgot to stop and smell the roses until illness forced him to slow down.”
- 01
a short drop and a sudden stop
A fall to one's death by hanging.
- 02
bed of roses
A pleasant or easy situation; an untroubled existence.
- 03
bloom is off the rose
The person, object, or situation identified in the context has lost its novelty, freshness, appeal, or acceptability.
- 04
come up roses
To enter into a condition or situation which is favorable; to develop in a pleasing or advantageous manner.
- 05
couldn't stop a pig in a passage
To be bow-legged.
- 06
face that would stop a clock
A shockingly unattractive face.
- 07
moonlight and roses
A very pleasant, sentimental, or romantic situation or atmosphere.
- 08
put a stop to
To terminate or abolish something.
Last updated August 10, 2026