Two Ships Passing in the Night.
English
idiom
People who meet briefly and then go separate ways.
Trusted by1M+English learners & teachers worldwide
People who meet briefly and then go separate ways.
Trusted by1M+English learners & teachers worldwide
People who cross paths briefly but never really connect.
Two ships passing in the night can also mean two people who keep missing each other.
It is often used for lives that touch for a moment and then drift apart.
"Like Ships in the Night"
—
The same expression — two people who pass briefly without truly connecting
"Missed Connection"
—
A specific instance where two people nearly meet or connect but just fail to do so
"Two Ships Passing in the Night"
—
People who briefly cross paths but never truly connect or keep missing each other
We barely see each other anymore — you leave before I wake up and I'm asleep by the time you're home.
I know — we're becoming like two ships passing in the night. We need to fix that.
Did anything happen with that person you met at the conference?
Two ships passing in the night — we exchanged details but never followed up.
Do you two ever actually spend time together between work and travel?
Barely — we joke that we're two ships passing in the night most weeks.
