Word.ws English Dictionary

after us the deluge

after us the deluge phrase: a nihilistic expression of indifference to whatever happens after one is gone.

Phrase

after us the deluge

  1. A nihilistic expression of indifference to whatever happens after one is gone.
    • ‘After us the deluge,’ was retorted with a laugh: / ‘If bread's the staff of life, they must walk without a staff.’ / ‘While I've a loaf they're welcome to my blessing and the chaff.’1861, Christina Rossetti, A Royal Princess
    • “How about, ‘After us the deluge,’” said Paul. “Hmm?” Doctor Pond tried to make sense of the quotation, seemingly decided that it was some archaic, pleasant sentiment for those who understood poetry, and smiled.[1952, Kurt Vonnegut, Player Piano, page 152

Synonyms of after us the deluge

Origin of after us the deluge

Calque of French après nous le déluge.

Questions about after us the deluge

What does after us the deluge mean?
After us the deluge means a nihilistic expression of indifference to whatever happens after one is gone.
What part of speech is after us the deluge?
After us the deluge is a phrase.

Words near after us the deluge in the dictionary

  1. after taste
  2. after tastes
  3. after the fact
  4. after the jump
  5. after the Lord Mayor's show
  6. after us the deluge
  7. after you
  8. after you, Alphonse
  9. after't
  10. after-
  11. after-acquired

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: after us the deluge (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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