形象地描述了一个人到达码头太晚，船已经开了。它用来提醒人们如果犹豫不决或行动迟缓，就会错过难得的机会。

• If you don’t buy the tickets now, you might miss the boat. ^{如果你现在不买票，你可能会错失良机。}
• The investment opportunity is gone; you’ve missed the boat. ^{投资机会已经没了，你错过了。}
• He waited too long to ask her out and missed the boat. ^{他犹豫了太久才约她，结果错失了机会。}