See hang by a thread in All languages combined, or Wiktionary
{
"etymology_text": "An allusion to the anecdotal sword of Damocles, which was suspended by a hair.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "hangs by a thread",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "hanging by a thread",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "hung by a thread",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "hung by a thread",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "hang on by a thread",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "hang<,,hung> by a thread"
},
"expansion": "hang by a thread (third-person singular simple present hangs by a thread, present participle hanging by a thread, simple past and past participle hung by a thread)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Cantonese terms with redundant transliterations",
"parents": [
"Terms with redundant transliterations",
"Entry maintenance"
],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
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"parents": [
"Terms with non-redundant manual transliterations",
"Entry maintenance"
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"source": "w"
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{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with 1 entry",
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},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Pages with entries",
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"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Cantonese translations",
"parents": [],
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},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Catalan translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with French translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with German translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Icelandic translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Italian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Latvian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Macedonian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Polish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Russian translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
},
{
"kind": "other",
"name": "Terms with Thai translations",
"parents": [],
"source": "w"
}
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2017 June 2, Nicola Davis, “Giant Antarctic iceberg 'hanging by a thread', say scientists”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:",
"text": "A giant section of an Antarctic ice shelf is hanging by a thread and could break off at any moment, researchers have revealed.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2019 January 14, “Exploring the SCP Foundation: SCP-2935 - O, Death” (0:07 from the start), in The Exploring Series, archived from the original on 2023-03-25:",
"text": "Life in the SCP universe continually hangs by a thread, threatened constantly by the existence of a number of dangerous and apocalyptic anomalies. These threats are countered and contained by the existence of organizations such as the SCP Foundation or the Global Occult Coalition.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2022 January 28, Em Beihold, Nick Lopez, Dru DeCaro, “Numb Little Bug”, in Egg in the Backseat, performed by Em Beihold:",
"text": "Do you ever get a little bit tired of life / Like you're not really happy, but you don't wanna die / Like you're hanging by a thread, but you gotta survive / 'Cause you gotta survive",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To be in danger, calling for precise caution; to be in a precarious situation."
],
"id": "en-hang_by_a_thread-en-verb-NazsHnlc",
"links": [
[
"danger",
"danger"
],
[
"precise",
"precise"
],
[
"caution",
"caution"
],
[
"precarious",
"precarious"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) To be in danger, calling for precise caution; to be in a precarious situation."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "hang by a hair"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
],
"translations": [
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "aguantar-se per un fil"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "venir d'un fil"
},
{
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"roman": "kap¹ kap¹ ho² ngai⁴",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "岌岌可危"
},
{
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"roman": "ming⁶ jyun⁴ jat¹ sin³",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "命懸一線 /命悬一线"
},
{
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"roman": "ngai⁴ zoi⁶ daan³ zik⁶",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "危在旦夕"
},
{
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"roman": "cin¹ gwan¹ jat¹ faat³",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "千鈞一髮 /千钧一发"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "jí jí kě wēi",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "岌岌可危"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "mìng xuán yī xiàn",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "命懸一線 /命悬一线"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "wēi zài dàn xī",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "危在旦夕"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "qiān jūn yī fà",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "千鈞一髮 /千钧一发"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "olla hiuskarvan varassa"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "ne tenir qu’à un fil"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "an einem seidenen Faden hängen"
},
{
"code": "is",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "hanga á bláþræði"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "essere appeso a un filo"
},
{
"code": "lv",
"lang": "Latvian",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "karāties mata galā"
},
{
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "vísi na vlákno",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "ви́си на вла́кно"
},
{
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "vísi na kónec",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "ви́си на ко́нец"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "wisieć na włosku"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "visétʹ na voloske",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "висе́ть на волоске"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "pender de un hilo"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "kwăen bon sâynádâai",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "แขวนบนเส้นด้าย"
}
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-hang by a thread.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/5d/En-au-hang_by_a_thread.ogg/En-au-hang_by_a_thread.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/En-au-hang_by_a_thread.ogg"
}
],
"word": "hang by a thread"
}
{
"etymology_text": "An allusion to the anecdotal sword of Damocles, which was suspended by a hair.",
"forms": [
{
"form": "hangs by a thread",
"tags": [
"present",
"singular",
"third-person"
]
},
{
"form": "hanging by a thread",
"tags": [
"participle",
"present"
]
},
{
"form": "hung by a thread",
"tags": [
"participle",
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "hung by a thread",
"tags": [
"past"
]
},
{
"form": "hang on by a thread",
"tags": [
"alternative"
]
}
],
"head_templates": [
{
"args": {
"1": "hang<,,hung> by a thread"
},
"expansion": "hang by a thread (third-person singular simple present hangs by a thread, present participle hanging by a thread, simple past and past participle hung by a thread)",
"name": "en-verb"
}
],
"lang": "English",
"lang_code": "en",
"pos": "verb",
"senses": [
{
"categories": [
"Cantonese terms with redundant transliterations",
"English entries with incorrect language header",
"English idioms",
"English lemmas",
"English multiword terms",
"English terms derived from Greek mythology",
"English terms with quotations",
"English verbs",
"Entries with translation boxes",
"Mandarin terms with non-redundant manual transliterations",
"Pages with 1 entry",
"Pages with entries",
"Terms with Cantonese translations",
"Terms with Catalan translations",
"Terms with Finnish translations",
"Terms with French translations",
"Terms with German translations",
"Terms with Icelandic translations",
"Terms with Italian translations",
"Terms with Latvian translations",
"Terms with Macedonian translations",
"Terms with Mandarin translations",
"Terms with Polish translations",
"Terms with Russian translations",
"Terms with Spanish translations",
"Terms with Thai translations"
],
"examples": [
{
"ref": "2017 June 2, Nicola Davis, “Giant Antarctic iceberg 'hanging by a thread', say scientists”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:",
"text": "A giant section of an Antarctic ice shelf is hanging by a thread and could break off at any moment, researchers have revealed.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2019 January 14, “Exploring the SCP Foundation: SCP-2935 - O, Death” (0:07 from the start), in The Exploring Series, archived from the original on 2023-03-25:",
"text": "Life in the SCP universe continually hangs by a thread, threatened constantly by the existence of a number of dangerous and apocalyptic anomalies. These threats are countered and contained by the existence of organizations such as the SCP Foundation or the Global Occult Coalition.",
"type": "quote"
},
{
"ref": "2022 January 28, Em Beihold, Nick Lopez, Dru DeCaro, “Numb Little Bug”, in Egg in the Backseat, performed by Em Beihold:",
"text": "Do you ever get a little bit tired of life / Like you're not really happy, but you don't wanna die / Like you're hanging by a thread, but you gotta survive / 'Cause you gotta survive",
"type": "quote"
}
],
"glosses": [
"To be in danger, calling for precise caution; to be in a precarious situation."
],
"links": [
[
"danger",
"danger"
],
[
"precise",
"precise"
],
[
"caution",
"caution"
],
[
"precarious",
"precarious"
]
],
"raw_glosses": [
"(idiomatic) To be in danger, calling for precise caution; to be in a precarious situation."
],
"synonyms": [
{
"word": "hang by a hair"
}
],
"tags": [
"idiomatic"
]
}
],
"sounds": [
{
"audio": "en-au-hang by a thread.ogg",
"mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/5/5d/En-au-hang_by_a_thread.ogg/En-au-hang_by_a_thread.ogg.mp3",
"ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/En-au-hang_by_a_thread.ogg"
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],
"translations": [
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "aguantar-se per un fil"
},
{
"code": "ca",
"lang": "Catalan",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "venir d'un fil"
},
{
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"roman": "kap¹ kap¹ ho² ngai⁴",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "岌岌可危"
},
{
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"roman": "ming⁶ jyun⁴ jat¹ sin³",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "命懸一線 /命悬一线"
},
{
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"roman": "ngai⁴ zoi⁶ daan³ zik⁶",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "危在旦夕"
},
{
"code": "yue",
"lang": "Chinese Cantonese",
"roman": "cin¹ gwan¹ jat¹ faat³",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "千鈞一髮 /千钧一发"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "jí jí kě wēi",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "岌岌可危"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "mìng xuán yī xiàn",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "命懸一線 /命悬一线"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "wēi zài dàn xī",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "危在旦夕"
},
{
"code": "cmn",
"lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
"roman": "qiān jūn yī fà",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "千鈞一髮 /千钧一发"
},
{
"code": "fi",
"lang": "Finnish",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "olla hiuskarvan varassa"
},
{
"code": "fr",
"lang": "French",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "ne tenir qu’à un fil"
},
{
"code": "de",
"lang": "German",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "an einem seidenen Faden hängen"
},
{
"code": "is",
"lang": "Icelandic",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "hanga á bláþræði"
},
{
"code": "it",
"lang": "Italian",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "essere appeso a un filo"
},
{
"code": "lv",
"lang": "Latvian",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "karāties mata galā"
},
{
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "vísi na vlákno",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "ви́си на вла́кно"
},
{
"code": "mk",
"lang": "Macedonian",
"roman": "vísi na kónec",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "ви́си на ко́нец"
},
{
"code": "pl",
"lang": "Polish",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "wisieć na włosku"
},
{
"code": "ru",
"lang": "Russian",
"roman": "visétʹ na voloske",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "висе́ть на волоске"
},
{
"code": "es",
"lang": "Spanish",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "pender de un hilo"
},
{
"code": "th",
"lang": "Thai",
"roman": "kwăen bon sâynádâai",
"sense": "to be in a precarious situation",
"word": "แขวนบนเส้นด้าย"
}
],
"word": "hang by a thread"
}
Download raw JSONL data for hang by a thread meaning in English (6.4kB)
This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2025-04-08 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2025-04-03 using wiktextract (51d164f and fb63907). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.
If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.