Stepping into your 40s is more than just cutting a cake, popping balloons or making a wish while blowing out the candles. It is a milestone that celebrates the person you have become and a reminder of your experiences, growth, and adventures. Whether you want to celebrate their journey or put a smile on their face, the right birthday wishes can work wonders. Here is a list we have put together to make it easier for you.
Wishing you a very happy 40th birthday and many many happy returns of the day! On this special day, I want to tell you how much you inspire me and how strong of a person you have become. May this be the best year of your life so far.
Life really does begin at forty. Up until then, you are just doing research.
Carl Gustav Jung
Inside every older person is a younger person wondering what the hell happened.
Cora Harvey Armstrong
Middle age is when your classmates are so gray and wrinkled and bald they don’t recognize you.
Bennett Cerf
Age is a case of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it don’t matter.
Satchel Paige
On your 40th, I hope your mornings are always filled with the aroma of espresso, strength of caffeine, and sunlight entering your house through a huge open window. I also want to take this day as an opportunity to remind you of your impeccable strength and the person you have become. Happiest birthday to the kindest human ever! 🎂✨
As you walk into your 40s, may your grace and light continue to conquer the world with the same light and confidence that have helped you become the leader you are. Age is just a number and your curiosity to acquire knowledge only proves it right. Happy Birthday and many happy returns of the day!
Another year, another candle, and another reason to celebrate a life who inspires everyone around them. Your kindness wrapped with strength is something I look up to. May this year be the best one so far and may you always stay happy. Happiest Birthday!
Your 40th should be about reminiscing on the courage and challenges it took to get here, and how you overcame them. Your empathy and passion for taking care of others are truly remarkable. Happy Birthday
Happy 40th Birthday to someone who has shown no dreams are too big and under no circumstances has given up on making those dreams a reality.
You have no idea about the power you hold and how incredible of a human you are. You are someone who inspires and influences in silence with just the way you carry yourself everyday through life. Take this day as a moment to admire yourself and your resilience. Happy Birthday dear!
Forty looks incredible on you. Keep shining, keep laughing, keep living in a way that makes the rest of us admire and love you even more. May this milestone mark the start of your brightest, happiest, and most fulfilling decade yet. Happy birthday!
40 years of surviving, laughing, crying, fighting, and throwing tantrums. 40 years of being unapologetically you! Many happy returns of the day!
Life does not begin at 40, it restarts with a newer, more matured version of YOU! Happy Birthday!
40 means everyday starts with gratitude, hope, and a lot of love in your heart. May you have a wonderful birthday!
40th Birthday Sayings
Waking up on your 40th isn’t just about getting another year older, it’s about accepting your true self, embracing your flaws, and finally living for yourself. Happy Birthday! May you keep glowing brighter each year.
Waking up on our 40th is not just about getting another year older but also about accepting your true self and embracing your flaws and starting to live for yourself. Happy Birthday, may you keep glowing!
On your birthday this year, I hope you start being a bit more forgiving towards yourself and see how far you have come and everything you have achieved so far. You deserve to be cherished, my friend!
40 is the age where you realize that the things that stressed you out in your 20s are things you laugh at now. Nothing matters anymore than the people you hold close, the memories, and your sanity. Keep thriving!
You spent your 20s and 30s working hard for everything you have now, now, as you step into your 40s, I pray you enjoy every fruit of success and slow down a bit. Be kind to yourself. Many happy returns of the day.
Forty is the old age of youth; fifty is the youth of old age.
Victor Hugo
At age 20, we worry about what others think of us. At 40, we don't care what they think of us.
Ann Landers
The lovely thing about being forty is that you can appreciate twenty-five-year-old men.
Colleen McCullough
40s doesn't mean you have to stop doing everything you wanted to do since a child. In fact, it means you get to enjoy doing them even more. Never let your inner child disappear! Happy 40th!
40th doesn't mean you are putting an end to an era, but it marks the onset of a new and better one shaped with brilliance, confidence, and beauty. Congratulations and Many happy returns of the day!
40 does not mean you are running out of time, it just means you have more experiences and skills to offer. So, never stop running behind your dreams. Happy Birthday
Congratulations on leveling up to 40 years of life! This is the game you just not play but you design it, you own it and you defeat all the demons!
40th Birthday Wishes For A Friend
Wow, 40 already. Can you believe it? We’re at the age where laugh lines and wisdom show up together, which feels kinda unfair, but hey, you make it look good.
Happy birthday, my amazing friend. Four decades of you being strong, kind, hilarious, and somehow managing to keep me sane (or at least entertained).
Congrats, bestie. You’re 40, officially fabulous, and somehow better than ever. You’ve been my crime partner, my safe place, and the one person I know I can always text at 2 AM. I hope your 40s are filled with bold dreams, wild parties, and just enough trouble to keep life interesting.
Honestly, life beginning at 40 makes sense for you. You’ve got the sparkle, the sense of humor, and the guts to make this decade unforgettable.
And let’s be real, forty looks ridiculously good on you. You’ve managed to gain wisdom without losing your sass, and that’s a rare combo.
So here’s to cake, adventures, big wins, silly nights, and more stories we’ll probably never admit to anyone else. Happy birthday, my forever friend. Love you loads.
Welcome to club 40 my friend. You are stepping into a decade of awesomeness, a playlist so cool it can intimidate Gen-Z and comebacks that leaves everyone speechless.
All your 20s and 30s you were super energetic and got in our heads whenever we were being lazy. Now, as you step into the big 4-0, you will realize the true luxury of naps.
People say forty means going over the hill! That's not true, it just means you are building a bigger hill with a vineyard! Here's wishing you a great day and year ahead irrespective of your clumsiness!
Happy Birthday! You are finally at the age where you can go out and buy your own birthday cake or in your case- birthday chicken wings! Go ahead, nobody dares to stop you anymore.
OMG! You are 40 already? Congratulations! You are vintage! How adorable! Happy Birthday and Many Happy Returns of The Day!
Here's to unveiling YOU 4.0 - this software is the most expensive, most valuable and priceless in the whole universe! Make sure you charge it properly! Happy 40th!
40th Birthday Wishes For A Woman
Wow… 40. I swear it feels like yesterday we were laughing about how old 30 sounded. Now here you are, still looking great and somehow even funnier than ever. Hope this year is full of cake, good wine, and stories we’ll laugh about when we’re 80.
You are not only aging gracefully but fiercely as well. You are bold and beautiful and you are the woman the world needs! Happy birthday, gorgeous.
Forty isn’t scary, it’s actually kind of perfect. Old worries shrink, friendships mean even more, and you finally know yourself inside out. Wishing you a birthday that’s loud, messy, joyful, and totally you.
You’ve spent four decades collecting people who love you (me included), lessons worth keeping, and way too many hilarious memories. Now it’s time to start cashing all that in for joy. Happy 40th, my friend, you’ve earned every smile today.
They say life starts at 40… which feels a little cheesy, but honestly I think it’s true. You’re walking into this decade with more confidence, more strength, and more sparkle than ever. The best stuff? Still coming.
Oh my god! You are 40! You have survived every thing from dial-up internet, to quirky fashion trends, to terrible haircuts to historic events- you are a gem! Happy birthday
Some birthdays just come and go, but 40 feels different. It feels like a crown you’ve earned, through laughter, resilience, and just straight-up living boldly. So wear it, own it, and celebrate like crazy.
Four decades of laughter, tears, wins, lessons, and memories. You’ve built something beautiful already, and I can’t wait to see what the next chapter looks like. Happy 40th, let it be loud, joyful, and unforgettable.
The magic of 40? You care less about what doesn’t matter and way more about what does. You walk into rooms with confidence. You laugh louder. You live freer. Wishing you a birthday that kicks off your most fun decade yet.
Some women get older. You? You just get bolder. That’s the difference. Happy 40th, may it bring new adventures, deeper love, and maybe a little harmless mischief to keep things interesting.
Forty is not a number, it’s a vibe. And honestly? You wear it better than anyone I know. Here’s to a birthday that’s fun, full of love, and hopefully involves too much cake.
Happy 40th to someone who’s managed to pick up wisdom without losing her sparkle. You inspire me with your strength and your humor, and I’m so lucky to know you. The next decade? It’s gonna shine even brighter.
You are stepping into your fabulous 40s so don't freak out over your fine lines and wrinkles- those are lines that proves how much you have laughed and lived and honestly your life is far from a tragedy- it's an entire comedy series with 100 seasons! So, happy birthday!
40th Birthday Wishes For A Man
Hitting 40 isn’t just about age anymore, it’s the moment when your battle scars become badges of honor. Here’s to waking up one morning and realizing you are exactly who you were meant to be, more curious, less worried, and ready for spontaneous adventures at 2 a.m.
Forty years does not only mean you are getting older, it means you have finally become the human you are supposed to be. Happy Birthday!
Every challenge you overcame, every triumph you achieved, every pain you carried with a smile made you the man you are now. May this birthday show you how special you are.
My man, you are finally 40. Congratulations on this milestone birthday. You should finally enjoy everything you have built and feel proud to see how far you have come. Happy Birthday.
Wishing you a birthday filled with balance, freedom, and a sense of joy that only comes with time.
People love to say life starts at 40, but honestly, looking at all you’ve done, it feels like you’ve been living it right from the start.
Here’s to a new decade that brings bigger adventures, bolder choices, and dreams that don’t just sit in the distance but start becoming reality.
Turning 40 isn’t just another birthday, it’s a moment to pause and look at the story so far. Every chapter behind you has meaning, and the ones ahead are ready to be written with more adventure, more laughter, and more of the legacy you’ve already started building.
Strength at this age doesn’t fade, it changes. It becomes patience, perspective, and confidence in who you are. May this birthday be a celebration of the man you’ve become and all the possibilities waiting for you in the years ahead.
A 40th birthday deserves more than cake and candles. It deserves laughter so loud it fills the room, stories so good they’ll be told for years, and dreams so powerful they give you energy for the next decade.
For forty years you’ve shown how determination, kindness, and vision can shape a meaningful life. May this birthday feel as extraordinary as the impact you’ve made and continue to make in the surrounding lives.
Life at 40 feels richer, sharper, and somehow more fun. May your birthday bring the kind of laughter that stays with you, the clarity of dreams that feel within reach, and the reminder that the best years aren’t behind you, they’re right now.
This is the age where ambition and wisdom finally meet. May your 40th birthday be filled with moments that remind you how far you’ve come and excitement for everything still to come.
You’ve spent four decades proving that grit, kindness, and vision can build a life worth celebrating. May your birthday be a reminder of all the good you’ve already put into the world and the even greater things still coming your way.
Life at 40 just hits different. Food tastes better, laughter feels bigger, and dreams start looking sharper. May your birthday be filled with all of that, plus a reminder that the best years aren’t behind you, they’re happening right now.
This is the age where ambition meets wisdom, and you’ve got both in spades. Wishing you a 40th birthday that shows you just how far you’ve come and how much more there is to chase.
Turning 40 Quotes
The first forty years of life give us the text: the next thirty supply the commentary.
Arthur Schopenhauer
We don't understand life any better at forty than at twenty, but we know it and admit it.
Jules Renard
Women deserve to have more than twelve years between the ages of twenty-eight and forty. –
James Thurber
Life begins at 40 – but so do fallen arches, rheumatism, faulty eyesight, and the tendency to tell a story to the same person, three or four times.
Helen Rowland
What most persons consider as virtue, after the age of 40 is simply a loss of energy.
Voltaire
I'm not sad at all about turning 40.
Halle Berry
Men at forty / Learn to close softly / The doors to rooms they will not be / Coming back to.
Donald Justice
I'm very pleased with each advancing year. It stems back to when I was forty. I was a bit upset about reaching that milestone, but an older friend consoled me. "Don't complain about growing old – many, many people do not have that privilege."
Earl Warren
I hated turning 40; the whole idea of it stank. But once I got through it, I was fine.
Cindy Crawford
I definitely feel more comfortable in my own skin since turning 40.
Kate Moss
I am just turning 40 and taking my time about it.
Harold Lloyd
When I was turning 40, I felt that there were no books out there that hit the spot in terms of what I wanted to read.
Molly Ringwald
I wasn't worried about turning 40 at all.
Helena Christensen
I'm excited about turning 40. I've been an adult for a long time, but there is a difference between being an adult and being a grown-up. I'm someone's mummy now and I'm enjoying that. I feel as if I'm about to hit my peak.
Jill Scott
