Desires are nourished by delays.

A delay can intensify a wish rather than diminish it. The longer people must wait for something they want, the more strongly they may desire it.

The proverb points to the power of anticipation: postponement can keep a desire active and make its object seem more appealing.

Use it to describe a situation in which waiting has increased someone’s eagerness, such as when a long-postponed opportunity becomes more enticing.