Best One Word & Short Tattoo Quotes

These short phrases & sayings are perfect for your next tattoo

When it comes to tattoo quotes, often a short saying has more impact than a long one. A great tattoo artist can make a word or short phrase into a work of art by adding a stylistic treatment to the font and other graphic flourishes to emphasize the sentiment of the tattoo.

Or you may choose to go with a minimalistic tattoo. Here are many one-word and short phrase ideas that are perfect for your next tattoo, or your first!

Inspirational short tattoo quotes & sayings

The most powerful message can sometimes be communicated with the fewest words. In that spirit, here is a list of quotes, phrases, and sayings that may inspire the perfect tattoo. Choose a category from the menu below or browse through the list of phrases and let the message come to you!

1. Positive Tattoo Sayings

Everyone can use a positive reminder to lift them up when times are tough.

Tattoo Quotes: See the stars meme

Without the dark, we’d never see the stars.

Fly me to the moon.

The world at my feet

The world at my feet.

With pain comes strength.

Think positive.

Tattoo Quotes: Light gets in quote

We are all broken—that’s how the light gets in.

Happy thoughts.

Think happy thoughts.

Be happy

Be happy.

Fight like a girl.

Every day is a second chance.

Tattoo Quotes: Focus on the good saying tattoo quote

Focus on the good.

Lights will guide you home.

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Even more short positive sayings and quotes

Never lose hope.

Have courage and be kind.

Tattoo Quotes: Follow your heart quote

Follow your heart.

Be you.

Now is all you have

Now is all you have.

You are my sunshine.

Turn your pain into power.

Good vibes

Tattoo Quotes: Flaws make perfection saying

Flaws make perfection

She flies with her own wings

You are enough

We got this

Through every dark night, there is a brighter day

Victory is in my veins

Positive one word tattoos

Sometimes one word is all you need to express yourself in ink. Here are some powerful words that are great tattoo ideas.

Courage
  • Strength
  • Determined
  • Kindness
  • Fearless
  • Laugh
  • Spark
  • Courage
  • Grattitude
  • Joy
  • Happiness
  • Shine
  • Power
  • Sparkle

2. Inspirational Tattoo Quotes

These inspirational sayings make great motivational tattoos. Let their message be a reminder of your greater goals in life.

We Can Be Heroes

We can be heroes, just for one day.

The rest is still unwritten.

It’s never too late to be who you want to be.

To live without risk is to risk not living.

Fall down seven times—stand up eight.

Fear cuts deeper than swords.

Tattoo Quotes: Never give up meme

Never give up.

La vie est belle.

With every heartbeat

Never stop dreaming.

Be the change

Be the change.

Inspiration is beauty, madness is genius.

She believed she could, so she did.

But the fighter still remains.

Learn to roar.

Tattoo Quotes: Shine like the stars meme

Shine like the stars.

Well behaved women rarely make history.

I am enough the way I am.

Wish upon a star.

Always a lesson, never a failure.

Stay strong

Stay strong.

Stars can’t shine without darkness.

Create yourself.

Never a failure, always a lesson.

Keep going.

Without struggle quote

Without struggle, there is no progress.

Being strong quote

Being strong is the only option.

Inhale the future, exhale the past.

Where words fail, music speaks.

Nothing is promised

Nothing is promised.

Greatness quote

Don’t be afraid to be great.

I was not built to break.

Still, I rise.

Motivational quote

Tell me I can’t and I’ll show you I can.

The wolf you feed is the wolf who wins.

Inspirational one-word tattoos

Imagine
  • Imagine
  • Grow
  • Alive
  • Magnifique
  • Forever
  • Dream
  • Win
  • Today
  • Always
  • Confidence
  • Success
  • Brave
  • Hope
  • L’espoir (French for “hope”)
  • Wonder

3. Beauty Tattoo Phrases

See the beauty in yourself and in others with these sayings about appreciating what we have.

Everything Has Beauty

Everything has beauty, but not everyone can see it.

Beautiful people do not just happen.

Be your own kind of beautiful.

A beautiful thing is never perfect.

Your beauty leaves me speechless.

Difficult roads often lead to beautiful destinations.

Beauty in simplicity meme

There’s beauty in simplicity.

Count every beautiful thing.

Where there is no light, there is no beauty.

Beauty one word tattoos

Flawless
  • Beautiful
  • Elegant
  • Magnificent
  • Belle (French for “beautiful”)
  • Superb
  • Flawless
  • Bellissimo
  • Alluring
  • Perfect
  • Glamorous

4. Love Tattoo Quotes

An expression of love is the voice from the heart. Find your perfect love tattoo saying here.

Love Never Fails

Love never fails.

All is fair in love and war.

The ones that love us never really leave us.

Live laugh love

Live Laugh Love.

When you love what you have, you have everything you need.

Two hearts in love need no words.

Dream without fear. Love without limits.

Happily Ever After

Happily ever after.

Love yourself.

Tattoo Quotes: Wild hearts quote

Wild hearts can’t be broken.

I love you today.

Love is always better.

Tattoo Quotes: One love forever meme

One love forever.

All you need is love.

Love keeps her in the air.

You have to keep breaking your heart until it opens.

Love yourself first

Love yourself first.

What is done in love, is done well.

One love.

For those I love I wil sacrifice.

Don’t forget to love yourself.

You Make Me Love

You make me love.

Love me for who I am.

Tattoo Quotes: Fire quote

Fire starts with sparks.

Love hurts, love heals, love hard.

Love one-word tattoos

Love Tattoos
  • Blissful
  • Unconditionally
  • Passion
  • Love
  • Amore

5. Meaningful Tattoo Quotes

For the more philosophically-minded, here is a list of meaningful sayings and quotes that make great tattoos.

Live Your Dream

Don’t dream your life, live your dream.

Everything happens for a reason.

You become what you think about.

Only you.

Fate doesn’t care about plans.

lose yourself in the music

Lose yourself in the music.

No regrets.

I can, therefore I am.

Tattoo Quotes: Earth music meme

The earth has music for those who listen.

Every flower must grow through dirt.

Be brave.

I exist as I am, that is enough.

A dream is a wish your heart makes.

Even more short meaningful and deep sayings

Not broke, just bent.

Little by little, one travels far.

Question everything

Question everything.

Be still.

I am flawed if I’m not free.

I’m the hero of this story.

Not all those who wander are lost.

Meaningful one-word tattoos

Forgive
  • Simplicity
  • Forgive
  • Creativity
  • Purity
  • Resilience
  • Survive
  • Listen
  • Enough
  • Balance
  • Focus
  • Loyalty

6. Tattoo Quotes About Life

Honor your life, family, and relationships with a quote tattoo about living.

Tattoo Quotes: Life is what you make of it meme

Life is what you make of it.

I’m a mess, I confess.

Family is my strength.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Come what may.

Each day is a gift and not a given right.

The past is practice.

Life is not a journey—life is time.

Carpe diem

Carpe diem.

Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow.

All is well.

We’re all mad here.

Live a little.

Let it be.

Tattoo Quotes: You only live once saying

You only live once.

If you stumble, make it part of the dance.

Even more short quotes about life and living

I am not afraid to walk this world alone.

Que sera sera.

No rain, no flowers.

This too shall pass.

One life.

Nothing lasts forever.

Even angels fall

Even angels fall.

Old ways won’t open new doors.

Breathe in, breathe out, move on.

Live free.

And miles to go.

Check out these short quotes about life, love, friendship and more.

With grace in your heart and flowers in your hair.

Pain changed me.

One day at a time.

Just imagine.

Enjoy the journey.

Live the adventure.

Be here now

Be here now.

Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.

Just breathe.

Tattoo Quotes: Enjoy the little things meme

Enjoy the little things.

Live and let live.

We part only to meet again.

I forgive you.

Let it go.

Death smiles at everyone—only the brave smile back.

One word tattoos about life & living

Breathe
  • Freedom
  • Peculiar
  • Wanderlust
  • Adventure
  • Breathe
  • Namaste
  • Free
  • Appreciate
  • Smile
  • Serendipity
  • Family
  • Ohana (Hawaiian for “family”)
  • Home
  • Self

7. Spirituality / Faith Tattoo Quotes

These sayings are perfect for those who are guided by faith and spirituality.

Faith can move mountains

Faith can move mountains.

Only God can judge me.

Saved by grace.

He walks with me.

Always put your hope in God.

I believe.

The secret to having it all is knowing you already do.

There is a light that never goes out.

I am blessed

I am blessed.

Have faith.

Pray and let God worry.

Everything comes to you at the right time.

He will provide.

Faith in God includes faith in His timing.

When fear knocks, answer with faith.

Tattoo Quotes: Be a light meme

Be a light in this world.

Stay true.

Things happen for a reason—just believe.

Live by faith, not by sight.

God is great.

Shut your eyes and see.

May angels fly with you wherever you roam.

Walk by faith

Walk by faith.

God is never in a hurry, but God is never late.

Lord teach me what I cannot see.

Let your faith be bigger than your fears.

Don’t give up on faith.


Spirituality / Faith one word tattoos

Believe
  • Trust
  • Blessed
  • Believe
  • Faith
  • Light
  • Hallelujah
  • Karma
  • Glorified
  • Saved

Check out these short quotes, sayings, and phrases.

— Greg Johnson

Greg is a writer and co-founder of ListCaboodle.

Encore

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