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Burn the candle at both ends Meaning in English

expression

BURN thuh KAN-dul at BOTH ENDZ
BURN thuh KAN-duhl at BOATH ENDZ

Definition

To work or stay active from early morning until late at night, becoming exhausted from trying to do too much.

Usage & Nuances

Idiomatic, slightly formal or literary. Suggests unsustainable overwork that will lead to exhaustion. Often used to warn or express concern about someone's health. Not used for just being busy once; implies repeated or ongoing effort.

Spanish: quemarse la vela por los dos extremos - agotarse trabajando demasiadoPortuguese (BR): queimar a vela dos dois lados - se esgotar trabalhando demaisPortuguese (PT): queimar a vela dos dois lados - esgotar-se com trabalho em excessoChinese (Simplified): 透支精力 - 拼命工作（导致疲惫）Chinese (Traditional): 透支精力 - 拚命工作（導致疲憊）Hindi: दोनों सिरों से मोमबत्ती जलाना - खुद को थका देनाArabic: يحرق الشمعة من الطرفين - يرهق نفسه بالعملBengali: দুই দিক থেকে মোমবাতি জ্বালানো - অতিরিক্ত পরিশ্রম করাRussian: сжигать свечу с двух концовJapanese: 両端を燃やす（ろうそくの両端を燃やす） - 無理をするVietnamese: đốt nến hai đầu - làm việc quá sứcKorean: 양쪽 끝에서 촛불을 태우다 - 과로하다Turkish: iki ucu birden yakmak - aşırı çalışmakUrdu: دونوں سروں سے موم بتی جلانا - ضرورت سے زیادہ محنت کرناIndonesian: membakar lilin di kedua ujung - bekerja terlalu keras

Example Sentences

If you burn the candle at both ends, you will feel very tired.

basic

She has been burning the candle at both ends studying and working.

basic

People who burn the candle at both ends get sick more easily.

basic

You can't keep burning the candle at both ends and expect to feel fine.

natural

He was burning the candle at both ends to finish his project before the deadline.

natural

After weeks of burning the candle at both ends, she finally took a break.

natural