English idiom

on thin ice

Register · Neutral CEFR B2

Post

Figurative meaning

in a risky position where one mistake could cause trouble

Why this phrase?

Thin ice may crack beneath you at any moment; a fragile position is pictured as standing where the surface cannot be trusted.

Example

“He's on thin ice after missing three deadlines.”

Recorded usage

These full forms were measured in COCA in 2016–2017. Counts apply to the quoted form, not every use of this idiom; overlapping forms are not added together.

“Don't skate on thin ice” — 0 recorded occurrences

Grouped source variants; editorially classified here as an idiom. Usage counts are separate from CEFR difficulty.

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

touch and go

very uncertain, with a chance of failure at any moment

bury one's head in the sand

to ignore an unpleasant reality hoping it will go away

can of worms

a complicated problem that causes trouble the moment it is touched

domino effect

a chain reaction in which one event triggers a series of similar events

in broad daylight

openly and where people can clearly see it, especially during the daytime

in the nick of time

at the latest moment when success is still possible

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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