Definitions by louisaaaa06

hanging on by a thread

idiom used to express struggling in some way, barely surviving/getting by, or relying on the very last bit of wherewithal someone has to stay afloat in life or in a particular situation

"After spilling my coffee all over myself, hitting bad traffic which made me late to work, and receiving a negative performance review from my boss, by the time the end of work rolled around I was barely hanging on by a thread."

hanging on by a thread by louisaaaa06 January 26, 2026