BURN THE CANDLE AT BOTH ENDS Definition & Meaning

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burn the candle at both ends

To do more than one ought to; to overextend oneself: “His doctor said that his illness was brought on by stress and recommended that he stop burning the candle at both ends.”

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Idioms and Phrases

Exhaust one's energies or resources by leading a hectic life. For example, Joseph's been burning the candle at both ends for weeks, working two jobs during the week and a third on weekends . This metaphor originated in France and was translated into English in Randle Cotgrave's Dictionary (1611), where it referred to dissipating one's wealth. It soon acquired its present broader meaning.

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

The NBA released its 2019-20 schedule Monday, and the big winners are East Coast fans who have been forced to burn the candle at both ends.

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There is a lot of burning the candle at both ends.

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As Mr Kalanick himself admits, he used to think you had to burn the candle at both ends to be the real deal as head of a Silicon Valley start-up.

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“I wasn’t as strong because I couldn’t burn the candle at both ends. I couldn’t lift the weights that I’m used to, or accustomed to lifting as well as playing and practicing.”

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It’s time for parents to wake up: Children simply cannot burn the candle at both ends.

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

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