Meaning
Time passes very quickly, often unnoticed until a surprising amount has gone by.
It’s typically said with a note of surprise or wistfulness, especially when reflecting on how much has changed or how little time remains.
Origin
The idea is a direct descendant of the Latin “tempus fugit,” from Virgil’s Georgics (Book 3, line 284): the fuller original line reads “fugit inreparabile tempus” (“it escapes, irretrievable time”), part of a passage on the fleeting nature of youth and life. The shortened form “tempus fugit” became a stock Latin motto, engraved for centuries on sundials and clocks throughout Europe as a memento of mortality, and it was translated into English, French, Spanish, Russian, and countless other languages as some version of “time flies,” spreading the same core image — time as a winged, fleeting thing — well beyond its classical origin.
Examples
Time flies when you’re having fun.
I can’t believe it’s already December — time really flies.
Time flies once the kids start school.
A: Wow, has it really been five years already? B: I know, time flies.
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Time flies' mean?
Time passes very quickly, often unnoticed until a surprising amount has gone by.
It’s typically said with a note of surprise or wistfulness, especially when reflecting on how much has changed or how little time remains.