smell the roses

phrase

: to enjoy or savor life

Examples of smell the roses in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Oddly, though, nobody in The Roses of Heliogabalus is smelling the roses. Angelica Frey, JSTOR Daily, 17 July 2026

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Smell the roses.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/smell%20the%20roses. Accessed 1 Aug. 2026.

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster