How to use Idiom "Burning the candle at both ends" in English? Examples and tips from Grammar Experts
"Burning the candle at both ends"means to overwork oneself by doing too many things, often leading to exhaustion. Imagine a candle being lit from both ends and burning out quickly—that’s the essence of this idiom.
Prehistory of the Idiom
The phrase "burning the candle at both ends" dates back to the 18th century and was used to describe wasting resources. Over time, it evolved to signify exhausting oneself by taking on too much work or staying up late and getting up early.
Short Advice
Use this idiom to describe situations where someone is overworking themselves or taking on too many responsibilities. It emphasizes the risk of exhaustion and the need to manage time and energy wisely.
Examples of Using "Burning the candle at both ends" in Sentences:
"She’s been burning the candle at both ends with her job and night classes." - She is overworking herself with her job and classes.
"He’s exhausted from burning the candle at both ends to meet deadlines." - He is exhausted from overworking to meet deadlines.
"They’re burning the candle at both ends to prepare for the event." - They are overworking themselves to prepare for the event.
"You can’t keep burning the candle at both ends without getting burned out." - You can’t overwork yourself without getting exhausted.
"She’s burning the candle at both ends by managing a business and a family." - She is overworking herself by managing both responsibilities.
"He realized he was burning the candle at both ends and needed to rest." - He realized he was overworking himself and needed rest.
"They’ve been burning the candle at both ends to launch the new product." - They are overworking themselves to launch the product.
"Stop burning the candle at both ends and take a break." - Stop overworking yourself and rest.
"She’s burning the candle at both ends with her volunteer work and job." - She is overworking herself with both commitments.
"He’s feeling the effects of burning the candle at both ends." - He is feeling exhausted from overworking.
"They’re burning the candle at both ends to finish the project on time." - They are overworking themselves to meet the project deadline.
"She admitted to burning the candle at both ends and promised to slow down." - She admitted to overworking and promised to rest.
"He’s been burning the candle at both ends, balancing school and work." - He is overworking himself with both school and work.
"They need to stop burning the candle at both ends and delegate tasks." - They need to stop overworking and delegate tasks.
"She’s been burning the candle at both ends with her social and professional life." - She is overworking herself with both aspects of her life.
Exercise 1: Fill in the Blanks
Complete the following sentences by filling in the blanks with the idiom "burning the candle at both ends."
"She's been ________ with her job and taking care of her family."
"He realized he was ________ and needed to take a break."
"They’re ________ to finish the project on time."
"You can't keep ________ without eventually burning out."
"She admitted to ________ and promised to slow down."
Exercise 2: Sentence Creation
Create your own sentences using the idiom "burning the candle at both ends" to describe the following situations:
A student balancing school and part-time work:
Example: "The student has been ________ trying to balance school and part-time work."
An entrepreneur managing multiple businesses:
Example: "The entrepreneur is ________ by managing multiple businesses simultaneously."
A parent juggling a full-time job and childcare:
Example: "The parent is ________ by juggling a full-time job and childcare responsibilities."
A volunteer working long hours at a charity event:
Example: "The volunteer is ________ working long hours at the charity event."
A professional taking on too many projects at work:
Example: "The professional is ________ by taking on too many projects at work."
Exercise 3: Scenario Analysis
Read the scenarios below and explain how "burning the candle at both ends" would be a suitable description.
Scenario: A young professional who stays up late working on a startup and wakes up early for a corporate job.
Explanation: "The young professional is ________ by working late on the startup and waking up early for the corporate job."
Scenario: A college student who studies late into the night and participates in morning sports practices.
Explanation: "The college student is ________ by studying late and participating in morning sports."
Scenario: A single parent who works a night shift and takes care of children during the day.
Explanation: "The single parent is ________ by working night shifts and caring for children during the day."
Scenario: A project manager who handles multiple urgent projects and attends evening meetings.
Explanation: "The project manager is ________ by handling multiple projects and attending evening meetings."
Scenario: An artist preparing for an exhibition while also working full-time.
Explanation: "The artist is ________ by preparing for the exhibition and working full-time."
Exercise 4: Rewrite the Sentences
Rewrite the following sentences to include the idiom "burning the candle at both ends."
"She’s extremely tired from managing both her studies and her part-time job."
"She’s ________ managing both her studies and her part-time job."
"He’s feeling exhausted due to working late nights and early mornings."
"He’s ________ working late nights and early mornings."
"The team is overworked trying to meet the tight deadlines."
"The team is ________ trying to meet the tight deadlines."
"She is drained from balancing her demanding job and night classes."
"She is ________ balancing her demanding job and night classes."
"He’s worn out from taking care of his ill parents and working full-time."
"He’s ________ taking care of his ill parents and working full-time."
Exercise 5: Reflection
Reflect on a time when you felt you were "burning the candle at both ends." Write a short paragraph describing the situation and how it affected you.
"One time I felt I was ________ was when I was ________. Initially, I thought I could handle both ________ and ________, but soon I realized that I was ________. This experience taught me the importance of ________."