[Idiom] ON TENTERHOOKS. - Staying Hooked: The Art of Anxious Anticipation
On tenterhooks.
In anxious anticipation.
The expression "on tenterhooks" refers to being in a state of anxious suspense or nervousness. Historically, tenterhooks were hooks used in the process of making woolen cloth; cloth was stretched on a tenter frame to prevent it from shrinking. By comparing this tension to human feelings, the idiom vividly describes someone stretched to their emotional limits while waiting for something.
Example Sentences
Waiting for the college acceptance letters had her on tenterhooks for weeks.
She was very anxious while waiting for the college acceptance letters.
He was on tenterhooks during the whole interview, just waiting for any hint if he got the job.
He was very nervous throughout the interview, waiting for any sign whether he got the job.
As the jury deliberated, the defendant sat on tenterlocks, anxiously awaiting the verdict.
The defendant was very anxious, awaiting the jury's verdict.