Oscar Wilde
(1854–1900) was an Irish poet, playwright, and novelist known for his wit, satire, and flamboyant style. His works, including "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "The Importance of Being Earnest," explore themes of beauty, morality, and social hypocrisy. Wilde’s writing is celebrated for its clever dialogue and sharp observations. Despite personal challenges, his work achieved lasting recognition. Oscar Wilde’s legacy continues to influence literature, theatre, and cultural thought.
28 quotes in this collection. Read them below, share your favourites, or follow the related links to explore similar voices.
All quotes by Oscar Wilde
-
“Nowadays we are all of us so hard up that the only pleasant things to pay are compliments.”
Meaning: Lord Darlington says this in Lady Windermere's Fan, a comedy of high-society manners where everyone is short of cash and long on charm. Wilde jokes that money is tight while kind words are free to give. Take the hint: when budgets are stretched, generous praise costs nothing and still enriches relationships. -
“No gentleman ever has any money.”
Meaning: Algernon tosses this off in The Importance of Being Earnest, poking fun at Victorian aristocrats who kept up appearances while living on credit. Wilde's humour exposes the gap between looking wealthy and being solvent. In everyday life, check whether your spending is buying real security or only an impression for other people. -
“The only thing that can console one for being poor is extravagance.”
Meaning: Wilde, who spent lavishly and often went without, jokes that a little splurge is the antidote to scarcity. The line, from a set of maxims for the over-educated, is witty rather than sound financial advice. A practical reading is to budget a small, planned treat so frugality stays sustainable. -
“Time is a waste of money.”
Meaning: This inverts the familiar maxim that time is money. In his 1894 collection of epigrams, Wilde mocks a culture that measures every hour by its income. The reversal invites you to ask whether chasing extra income is eating the hours you cannot buy back. Schedule one unpaid hour weekly purely for enjoyment. -
“If he shut the doors of the house of mourning against me, I would come back again and again and beg to be admitted, so that I might share in what I was entitled to share in.”
Meaning: Writing from prison, Wilde described the right of a friend to share another's sorrow, not only their joys. Being let into someone's grief is a mark of trust. When a friend is hurting, show up and stay present instead of waiting to be asked or offering quick fixes. -
“Between men and women there is no friendship possible. There is passion, enmity, worship, love, but no friendship.”
Meaning: Lord Darlington, a cynical character in Wilde's play, says this while pressing his own interest in a married woman, so it is a provocation, not Wilde's settled view. Notice when cynical claims about friendship serve someone's motives, and judge your own friendships by how people actually treat you. -
“Friendship is far more tragic than love. It lasts longer.”
Meaning: Wilde's witty maxim suggests that love often burns out quickly, while friendship endures, so its disappointments and losses stay with us longer. Behind the joke is a truth about how deep and lasting friendship is. Contact one long-time friend this week instead of assuming the bond will take care of itself. -
“The absence of old friends one can endure with equanimity. But even a momentary separation from anyone to whom one has just been introduced is almost unbearable.”
Meaning: Cecily's comic remark in Wilde's play mocks how new acquaintances feel urgent while old friends are taken for granted. Behind the humor sits a real habit: we neglect people who are secure in our lives. Send a message today to someone you haven't spoken to in months.