Example
“With rent due and no paycheck coming, the family was really up against it.”
Dictionary details
Tags
Related idioms
Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.
hope against hope
CEFR B2To continue wishing for a good result even when it seems almost impossible.
live it up
CEFR B1to celebrate or indulge freely, usually by spending more than usual
keep up appearances
CEFR B2To preserve an outward impression that everything is normal or successful despite underlying trouble.
hang by a thread
CEFR B2to remain so precarious that collapse or failure could happen at any moment
play with fire
CEFR B2to take a serious risk that is likely to bring harmful consequences
against the grain
CEFR C1in a way that conflicts with what is usual or with someone's natural character
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.