Burn the Candle at Both Ends.
English
idiom
Working too hard and for too long, both early and late, risking burnout.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
Working too hard and for too long, both early and late, risking burnout.
Trusted by1.5M+English learners & teachers worldwide
To exhaust yourself by working too hard or doing too much, often at both the beginning and end of the day.
When you burn the candle at both ends, you’re spreading yourself so thin that you’re heading toward burnout.
It suggests someone is sacrificing rest and health in pursuit of too many things at once.
"Burn the Midnight Oil"
—
Work or study late into the night, usually for one session
"Run on Empty"
—
Keep going despite being completely exhausted with nothing left
"Burn the Candle at Both Ends"
—
Work excessively at all hours, risking serious burnout
I’ve been burning the candle at both ends this month. I’m worried I won’t make it to the launch.
Let’s look at what we can take off your plate before you burn out completely.
You look exhausted. What’s going on?
I’ve been burning the candle at both ends — work, the kids, and night classes. Something has to give.
I burned the candle at both ends for weeks and finally got sick.
Your body was telling you to slow down. Rest now or it’ll get worse.
