[Idiom] BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS. - Explore Time Management Through Classic Idioms
Burn the candle at both ends.
/bɜrn ðə ˈkændl æt boʊθ ɛndz/
Work excessively or take on too much.
Burn the candle at both ends" speaks vividly to the image of a candle consuming wax from both sides, which means it will burn out twice as fast. This idiom dates back to the 18th century and is often used to describe someone who is working too hard and getting too little rest, much like a candle that doesn’t last the night because it’s lit at both ends. In a modern context, if someone takes on too many tasks at work while also juggling a hectic personal life, they are indeed burning the candle at both ends, likely leading to stress or exhaustion.
Example Sentences
She's been burning the candle at both ends preparing for her exams.
She is exhausting herself by studying intensely for her exams.
Working full-time and studying at night, John is really burning the candle at both ends.
Juggling a job and study, he is stretching himself too thin.
To meet both deadlines, she was burning the candle at both ends, working early mornings and late nights.
She worked mornings and nights trying to meet two deadlines, thereby overextending herself.