hang by a thread
Nearly falling apart
To hang by a thread is to be in a precarious situation where survival or success depends on the slimmest of margins.
The image is of something suspended by a single fragile strand that could snap at any moment: After the accident, his life hung by a thread.
The phrase often describes relationships, negotiations, or hopes that are barely holding together: Peace in the region hangs by a thread.
Dangerously insecure
- tenuousLacking solid foundation
- fragileEasily broken or damaged
- delicateEasily broken or harmed
- vulnerableOpen to attack
brink · edge · teetering · unstable · shaky · wobbly · insecure · perilous
Not firmly known
- unpredictableCannot be anticipated
- doubtfulUncertain of truth
- questionableOf uncertain validity
- unsettledNot yet resolved
undecided · up in the air · limbo · ambiguous · indeterminate · tentative · unresolved · pending
Strained or nervous
- anxiousTroubled by uncertainty
- nervousUneasy and apprehensive
- on edgeTense and anxious
- stressedOverwhelmed by pressure
apprehensive · uneasy · worried · nail-biting · suspenseful · breathless · white-knuckle · heart-pounding
Expressing disapproval or importance
- direExtremely serious or urgent
- graveSerious and worrying
- seriousWeighty and requiring attention
- acuteIntensely severe or perceptive
urgent · desperate · emergency · crisis · life-threatening · do-or-die · make-or-break · eleventh hour
precarious
Dangerously insecure
vulnerable · brink · edge · teetering · unstable · shaky · wobbly · insecure · perilous · risky
uncertain
Not firmly known
- unpredictableCannot be anticipated
- doubtfulUncertain of truth
- questionableOf uncertain validity
unsettled · undecided · up in the air · limbo · ambiguous · indeterminate · tentative · unresolved · pending · in the balance
tense
Strained or nervous
stressed · apprehensive · uneasy · worried · nail-biting · suspenseful · breathless · white-knuckle · heart-pounding · sweating
critical
Expressing disapproval or importance
acute · urgent · desperate · emergency · crisis · life-threatening · do-or-die · make-or-break · eleventh hour · last-ditch
hang by a threadon solid ground
secure · stable · safe and sound · unshakeable · ironclad
hang by a threadin the bag
Certain to succeed
guaranteed · assured · locked in · certain · sewn up
hang, hangs, hanging, hanger, hangers, hangings, overhang, thread, threads