Saying Goodbye Quotes

Find the right words to say goodbye

At U-Pack, we’ve been helping people move since 1997, and we know how hard it can be to say goodbye. To help you find the right words, we’ve gathered 50 of our favorite goodbye quotes and sayings. Whether you’re telling a friend, colleague, student or significant other “see you later,” these quotes can give you the words to express yourself. There’s one for every need, from sending a meaningful message or card to giving a farewell speech.

The best goodbye quotes

Our moving consultants compiled the best going away quotes to sum up the way you feel when leaving a special person or a job. We’ve made some of the best farewell sayings into graphics that you can screenshot to send to a friend or make your phone background.

The most meaningful ones are in this section, and then below you’ll find quotes specific for:

• Saying goodbye to friends
• Leaving a loved one
• Moving away
• Starting a new job
• Being funny or lighthearted

Our memories of yesterday will last a lifetime. We’ll take the best, forget the rest, and someday will find that these are the best of times. — Dennis DeYoung

Moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard. — Dave Mustaine

If you’re brave enough to say ‘goodbye’, life will reward you with a new ‘hello’. — Paulo Coelho 

A smooth sea never made a skilled sailor. — Franklin Delano Roosevelt

Goodbye doesn’t mean forever. — David Gates

What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from. — T.S. Eliot (Four Quartets)

Goodbye always makes my throat hurt. — Charles M. Schulz (Charlie Brown)

Goodbye quotes for friends

Anytime you leave a friend (or a friend leaves you), it’s hard. Use these special sayings to hold on to the memories. Want to put these feelings to music? Check out our list of goodbye songs for similar vibes.

You have been my friend. That in itself is a tremendous thing. — E.B. White (Charlotte’s Web)

Friends are friends forever, if the Lord's the Lord of them. And a friend will not say never, 'cause the welcome will not end. Though it's hard to let you go, in the Father's hands we know, that a lifetime's not too long to live as friends. — Michael W. Smith

You and I will meet again. When we’re least expecting it, one day in some far-off place, I will recognize your face, I won’t say goodbye my friend, for you and I will meet again. — Tom Petty

And as the years go by our friendship will never die. You're gonna see it's our destiny. You've got a friend in me. — Randy Newman

Don’t be dismayed at goodbyes. A farewell is necessary before you can meet again. And meeting again, after moments or lifetime, is certain for those who are friends. — Richard Bach

Goodbyes are not forever, are not the end; it simply means I’ll miss you until we meet again. —Unknown

Saying goodbye to someone you love

Relationships with your family or a significant other are especially difficult to move away from. Use these quotes to help you with your farewell and this guide to help you through the goodbye process.

The story of life is quicker than the blink of an eye. The story of love is hello, goodbye. — Jimi Hendrix

If I leave you, it doesn't mean I love you any less. Keep me in your heart for a while. — Warren Zevon

I want you to know, that should I go, I always loved you, held you high above, too. I studied your face and the fear goes away. — Eddie Vedder

I know I'll see you again, whether far or soon. But I need you to know, that I care, and I miss you. — Brandon Boyd

You will always be my favorite hello and hardest goodbye. — Cecelia Ahern (P.S. I Love You)

This is not a goodbye, my darling, this is a thank you. — Nicholas Sparks (Message in a Bottle)

It’s sad, but sometimes moving on with the rest of your life, starts with goodbye. — Carrie Underwood

I have learned along my journey that letting go doesn’t mean loving less. — Alex Elle

Sayings for moving away

These quotes are perfect for anyone who is leaving home for the first time or moving to a new city. If you’re the one relocating, use these tips to let family and friends know about your moving plans.

The two hardest things to say in life are hello for the first time and goodbye for the last. — Moira Rogers

Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts. — Oliver Wendell Holmes

Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes. — Henry David Thoreau

Everybody has talent, it’s just a matter of moving around until you’ve discovered what it is. — George Lucas

Moving on is a simple thing, what it leaves behind is hard. — Dave Mustaine

Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving. — Albert Einstein

I always wonder why birds stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on the earth. Then I ask myself the same question. — Harun Yahya

The world is round and the place which may seem like the end may also be the beginning. — Ivy Baker Priest

The sweetest part of leaving home is knowing, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that you’ll always carry it with you. — Unknown

It is so hard to leave — until you leave. And then it is the easiest thing in the world. — John Green (Paper Towns)

Quotes for leaving a job

Whether someone is retiring or leaving their position, you can send them on their way with these well wishes.

Two of the greatest predictors of success are the ability to say hello and the ability to say goodbye. — Robert J. Braathe

A change is brought about because ordinary people do extraordinary things. — Barack Obama

Every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end. — Lucius Annaeus Seneca

Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you’ve imagined. — Henry David Thoreau

Life is a journey, not a destination. — Ralph Waldo Emerson

All our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them. — Walt Disney

This is the beginning of anything you want. — Unknown

Funny and lighthearted goodbye quotes

If you’re not the sentimental type, these goodbye sayings are a bit more playful and upbeat — perfect for a farewell party invite or banner!

See you later, alligator. — Bill Haley and the Comets

Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go. — Oscar Wilde

I’m pretty tired. I think I’ll go home now. — Forrest Gump

Just keep swimming — Finding Nemo

Be well, do good work, and keep in touch. — Garrison Keillor

So long, farewell, Auf Wiedersehen, goodbye! — Oscar Hammerstein II (The Sound of Music)

How will you use these going away quotes?

Which phrase summed up your feelings best? How will you use them? Let us know in the comments!