Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word
on pins and needles. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
on pins and needles, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
on pins and needles in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
on pins and needles you have here. The definition of the word
on pins and needles will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
on pins and needles, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Pronunciation
Prepositional phrase
on pins and needles
- (idiomatic) Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.
1889, Mark Twain, chapter 6, in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court:Merlin hesitated a moment or two, and I was on pins and needles during that little while.
1923, Hugh Lofting, chapter 1, in The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, part 5:I was on pins and needles of expectation and curiosity.
Synonyms
Translations
feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
- Arabic: (please verify) عَلَى أَحَرَّ مِنَ الجَمْرِ (ʕalā ʔaḥarra mina l-jamri)
- Catalan: amb l'ai al cor (ca)
- Chinese:
- Hokkien: 搩搩控 (khia̍t-khia̍t-khàng) (Quanzhou)
- Mandarin: 焦慮不安 / 焦虑不安 (zh) (jiāolǜbù'ān), 如坐針氈 / 如坐针毡 (zh) (rúzuòzhēnzhān), 提心吊膽 / 提心吊胆 (zh) (tíxīndiàodǎn), 懸心吊膽 / 悬心吊胆 (zh) (xuánxīndiàodǎn), 坐立不安 (zh) (zuòlìbù'ān)
- Danish: oppe på lakridserne, på stikkerne
- Dutch: op hete kolen
- Hungarian: alig vár (hu), tűkön ül (hu)
- Irish: ar bís
- Italian: in sospeso, sui carboni ardenti, sulle spine
- Korean: 안절부절 (ko) (anjeolbujeol), 안절부절못하다 (ko) (anjeolbujeolmothada)
- Polish: jak na szpilkach (literally “like on pins”)
- Romanian: ca pe ace
- Russian: как на иголках (kak na igolkax)
- Scottish Gaelic: air bhioran
- Spanish: a la expectativa, con el alma en vilo, en ascuas, en vilo (es)
- Swedish: hålla någon på halster
- Turkish: diken üstünde
- Vietnamese: nhấp nhổm (vi)
|
See also