time heals all wounds

Syllable breakdown

Dictionary meaning

the proverbial observation that emotional pain, grief, and psychological injury diminish with the passage of time even when they cannot be immediately resolved — that the acute suffering of loss, bereavement, or trauma gradually becomes less raw and more bearable as life continues; the saying offers comfort to those in the acute phase of suffering by assuring them that their current state is not permanent; it is also challenged by those who argue that unprocessed trauma does not heal automatically but must be actively worked through in therapy or community — that time alone does not heal but provides the opportunity for healing if it is used wisely; the phrase is used across cultures and languages as one of the universal consolations offered to those who grieve