English Idioms
Comprehensive resource for understanding and mastering English idioms
Burn the candle at both ends
Meaning
The idiom "burn the candle at both ends" means to work very hard and not take any time off, or to exhaust oneself by working too much. It is a figurative expression that compares the act of working long hours to the literal act of burning a candle from both ends until it runs out of wax.
Usage
- "I've been burning the candle at both ends this week, but I can't keep up this pace much longer."
- "We had to burn the candle at both ends to get the project finished on time."
- "My boss expects me to burn the candle at both ends and be available 24/7."
- "The new job is demanding, but I can't afford to burn the candle at both ends because I have a family to take care of."
- "I've been burning the candle at both ends for months now and I feel like I'm going insane."
Roots and History
The idiom "burn the candle at both ends" has been used in English since the 14th century, according to the Oxford English Dictionary. The earliest known use of the phrase was in the Middle English poem "A Dialogue Conteinyng the Nomber in Effect of All the Prouerbes in the Englishe Tongue," which appeared in 1387. In this poem, the idiom is used to describe someone who works so hard that they don't have time for anything else, including resting or spending time with their family. Over time, the meaning of the idiom has remained relatively stable, but its usage has become more common in contemporary language. It is now used to describe anyone who works long hours and doesn't take any time off, regardless of whether they are literally working 24/7 or not.
Synonyms in English
- Work yourself to death
- Burn the midnight oil
- Go all out
- Give it your all
- Pour your heart and soul into it
Synonyms in other languages
- 烧 candle flame (Japanese) - 烧燒燻燒 (lit. "burn off")
- 摘鐘出席 (Chinese) - 吃饭后没时间出席 (lit. "don't have time to leave after dinner")
- 烧一场晚上的灯光 (Korean) - 夜晚不睡觉 (lit. "stay up all night")
- 굴어야 한다 (Korean) - 머나버려서 충분히 자거야? (lit. "let's leave early so we can get enough sleep?")
- שיקום בערוך נכליח מוצע ארץ ישראל (Hebrew) - תיקום בערוך אספירה נכליך מוצע ארץ ישראל (lit. "let's leave early so we can get enough rest in the Holy Land")