What does the idiom hang by a thread?

What does the idiom hang by a thread?

: to be in a very dangerous situation or state : to be very close to death, failure, etc.

What’s another way to say hanging by a thread?

What is another word for hanging by a thread?

How do you use thread hanging in a sentence?

depend on a small thing or be at risk.

1. His life hung by a thread.
2. The player’s career is hanging by a thread after this latest injury to his knee.
3. The mayor’s political future has been hanging by a thread since the fraud scandal.
4. He is still in hospital, his life hanging by a thread.

Is hanging on to life by a thread an idiom?

Be in a risky or unstable situation, as in His promotion was hanging by a thread, or With the lead actor sick, the success of our play hung by a hair. This expression, already proverbial in the early 1500s, alludes to Damocles, who vexed King Dionysius with constant flattery.

Where does the phrase hanging by a thread come from?

The term hanging by a thread, derives from the banquet that King Dionysius held for Damocles, a courtier of ancient Syracuse. King Dionysius was beginning to become annoyed with Damocles’ constant flattery of his king. He invited him to a banquet, where Damocles was seated under a sword suspended by a single hair.

What does Filipendulous mean?

: suspended by or strung upon a thread.

What does barely hanging mean?

We usually say that to talk about someone who’s not doing too well, whether that be financially, mentally or physically. “Wow, John lost his house, his wife, and his job all on the same day. He’s barely hanging on right now.”

What is thread in social media?

A thread is a string of messages that make up a conversation. Threads begin with an initial message and then continue as a series of replies or comments. Threads are essential to keeping track of conversations in most forms of online communication, including social media and email.

What is the meaning of hangdog expression?

adjective. shamefaced; guilty: He sneaked out of the room with a hangdog expression. browbeaten; defeated; intimidated: He always went about with a hangdog look. suitable to a degraded or contemptible person; sneaky; furtive.

What is the meaning of last straw?

Definition of the final/last straw : the last in a series of bad things that happen to make someone very upset, angry, etc. It had been a difficult week, so when the car broke down, it was the last straw.

What does the phrase’hanging by a thread’mean?

Literally, to be attached only by single thread, strand, or something similar. If that button is only hanging by a thread, you’re bound to lose it during the course of the day. To be perilously close to failing, dying, or resulting in a bad outcome. After the loss, their chances of getting into the championships are hanging by a thread.

What does the expression hang by a hair mean?

hang by a thread. Also, hang by a hair. Be in a risky or unstable situation, as in His promotion was hanging by a thread, or With the lead actor sick, the success of our play hung by a hair. This expression, already proverbial in the early 1500s, alludes to Damocles, who vexed King Dionysius with constant flattery.

Why is the ceasefire hanging by a thread?

It’s clear that the ceasefire is hanging by a thread. England’s World Cup hopes hang by a thread and they must now rely on the results of the others in their group going their way. 2. If someone’s life hangs by a thread, they are seriously ill and are very likely to die.

What does it mean to be attached by a thread?

1. Literally, to be attached only by single thread, strand, or something similar. If that button is only hanging by a thread, you’re bound to lose it during the course of the day. 2. To be perilously close to failing, dying, or resulting in a bad outcome.