on the edge
Teetering, about to
On the edge describes a precarious or thrilling position—literally near a boundary or drop, figuratively in a state of suspense or risk.
Someone living on the edge courts danger or uncertainty.
A person on the edge may be close to losing control emotionally: She's been on the edge since the diagnosis.
Entertainment that keeps you on the edge of your seat is gripping.
- precipiceSteep rock face
- ledgeProjecting horizontal surface
- brinkCritical boundary point
- anxiousTroubled by uncertainty
- boundaryLine marking a limit
border · fall · cusp · on thin ice · threshold · tense · at wit's end · tipping point · hanging by a thread · drop · risk · liminal · white-knuckle · abyss · precarious · verge · uneasy · cliffhanger
- Precariousnessprecarious, unstable, teetering, tottering, wobbly
- Risk-Takingplaying with fire, rolling the dice, taking chances, going for broke, high stakes
- almost therealmost, nearly, close, imminent, impending
- extinctionmass extinction, dodo, extinct, extinction event, extinction rate
on the edgecentered
Placed at midpoint
in the middle · grounded · stable · anchored · secure
on the edgesafe
Free from peril
secure · out of danger · in the clear · on solid ground · out of harm's way
edge, edges, edgy, edged, edging, on edge, cutting-edge, edgeless, edgewise