hang by a thread

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word hang by a thread. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word hang by a thread, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say hang by a thread in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word hang by a thread you have here. The definition of the word hang by a thread will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofhang by a thread, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

An allusion to the anecdotal sword of Damocles, which was suspended by a hair.[1]

Pronunciation

Verb

hang by a thread (third-person singular simple present hangs by a thread, present participle hanging by a thread, simple past and past participle hung by a thread)

  1. (idiomatic) To be in danger, calling for precise caution; to be in a precarious situation.
    Synonym: hang by a hair
    • 2017 June 2, Nicola Davis, “Giant Antarctic iceberg 'hanging by a thread', say scientists”, in The Guardian‎, →ISSN:
      A giant section of an Antarctic ice shelf is hanging by a thread and could break off at any moment, researchers have revealed.
    • 2019 January 14, “Exploring the SCP Foundation: SCP-2935 - O, Death” (0:07 from the start), in The Exploring Series‎, archived from the original on 25 March 2023:
      Life in the SCP universe continually hangs by a thread, threatened constantly by the existence of a number of dangerous and apocalyptic anomalies. These threats are countered and contained by the existence of organizations such as the SCP Foundation or the Global Occult Coalition.
    • 2022 January 28, Em Beihold, Nick Lopez, Dru DeCaro, “Numb Little Bug”, in Egg in the Backseat‎, performed by Em Beihold:
      Do you ever get a little bit tired of life / Like you're not really happy, but you don't wanna die / Like you're hanging by a thread, but you gotta survive / 'Cause you gotta survive

Translations

References

  1. ^ Christine Ammer (2013) “hang by a thread”, in American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms, second edition, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, →ISBN, page 196.
Wikious
Boobota
Sagapedia