Practice
Burn the candle at both ends: meaning and use
Sign in to saveAfter several late project meetings and early starts at home, Imani says, 'I have been burning the candle at both ends.' She means that her schedule has used a great deal of her time and energy. She is not talking about a real candle.
Understand burn the candle at both ends as an idiom for a demanding, tiring schedule, use its common verb patterns, and choose supportive wording when talking about workload or wellbeing.
Read and practice
Read the examples and try the written questions in this guide. Listening recordings are not available for this lesson yet.
Try the written questions
She has been burning the candle at both ends. /ʃiː hæz bɪn ˈbɜː.nɪŋ ðə ˈkæn.dəl æt bəʊθ endz/
The short answer
To burn the candle at both ends means to do too much over a period of time, especially by working or staying busy late and then starting early. Say, 'I have been burning the candle at both ends lately.' In a work conversation, a direct description of hours, deadlines, or support may be kinder and clearer.
Nico had been burning the candle at both ends while finishing a report and caring for a sick relative.
Why it works: Nico had a demanding schedule with little time to rest. The sentence does not say that he made a bad choice.
6 more examples
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After answering client messages until midnight and starting again at six, Dev said he had been burning the candle at both ends.
Dev describes a schedule with late work and an early start, which has taken a lot of energy.
Not this:Dev finished work at five and
kept the evening freebefore starting at nine the next morning. What changes: This schedule may still be busy, but it does not show the late-and-early pattern suggested by the idiom. -
Marta is burning the candle at both ends while she attends an evening course and opens the shop early.
Marta has commitments at both ends of the day. The idiom explains the pressure of the schedule.
Not this:Marta attends her evening course twice a week and
starts work lateron those mornings. What changes: The later start gives her more space in the schedule, so the idiom may not fit. -
I have been burning the candle at both ends since the move, so I am taking Saturday off.
The speaker connects a demanding period with a plan to create some time away from commitments.
Not this:Since the move, I have taken one task at a time and
left my weekends open. What changes: The speaker describes a more protected schedule rather than an exhausting pace. -
The manager noticed that the team had been burning the candle at both ends during the launch and asked which work could wait.
The manager uses the idiom to recognize pressure, then asks a practical question about reducing the workload.
Not this:The manager assumed the team could
keep adding taskswithout changing the deadline. What changes: This response does not acknowledge the limits of the team's time or energy. -
Do not burn the candle at both ends for a routine deadline if you can ask for more time or help.
This is a caring suggestion to look for support before a demanding schedule becomes harder to manage.
Not this:Ask a teammate to
review the planbefore you agree to another late shift. What changes: This gives a specific supportive action without judging the person's commitment. -
The stage candle burned at both ends because the prop had two wicks.
This sentence is literal. It describes an actual candle with a flame at each end.
Not this:Rosa has been
burning the candle at both endsduring the festival week. What changes: Here the phrase is figurative and describes Rosa's demanding schedule.
Read the full guide
Picture a candle lit at both ends. It will be used up sooner than a candle with one flame. English uses that image for a person whose days and nights are both full of work, study, care, travel, or other commitments. The idiom comments on the pressure of the schedule, not on a person's character.
Read the schedule behind the idiom
Look for a pattern of late activity and early starts. The speaker may mention extra work, study, travel, family care, or several commitments at once. Those details show why burn the candle at both ends fits.
Asha studied after her shift and left home before sunrise for the next one.
Asha's late study and early departure give the idiom a clear context.
What does the schedule suggest about Asha's available time and energy?
It suggests that both ends of her day are full, so she may be burning the candle at both ends.
Use the common verb patterns
The phrase usually follows burn in a changing-time form. Use is or are burning for a schedule happening now. Use has or have been burning for a demanding period that began earlier and still matters now.
Leila is burning the candle at both ends this month.
Is burning describes Leila's current month.
Leila has been burning the candle at both ends since the new project began.
Has been burning connects the pressure of the project so far with the present.
Which form fits a schedule that started last week and is still demanding now?
Use has been or have been burning the candle at both ends.
Hear concern without assigning blame
The idiom can recognize that a person is under pressure. It does not tell you why the schedule is demanding or whether the person chose it freely. Avoid using it as a quick explanation for someone else's mood, health, or performance.
You have had several late calls this week. Would it help to move the morning meeting?
This response names what you know and offers one practical change.
Why can burn the candle at both ends sound too personal when you say it about a colleague?
It may imply that you know the cause of the colleague's situation or that you are judging their choices.
Choose direct language at work
At work, direct facts can make it easier to discuss a solution. Mention late calls, early starts, an approaching deadline, or too many tasks. Then ask what can change. The idiom may still fit in a familiar conversation, but it should not replace a useful question.
You covered three evening calls and started early each day. Which task can we postpone?
The question gives specific evidence and invites the person to decide what support would be useful.
What can you add after the idiom to make a workload conversation more helpful?
Add a specific observation and a practical offer, such as asking which deadline can move or what help is needed.
Separate literal and figurative uses
Most uses of the full phrase are figurative. A sentence about a real candle needs details about flame, wax, wicks, or a stage prop. Without those details, readers will usually understand the phrase as an idiom about a demanding pace.
The candle burned at both ends while the theater crew tested the prop.
The theater and prop details make this a literal sentence about a candle.
What kind of details signal a literal use of burn at both ends?
Details about an actual candle, such as wax, flame, wicks, or a prop, signal a literal use.
Before you go
Remember this
Use burn the candle at both ends for a period when late commitments and early starts demand a lot of time and energy. Say someone is burning the candle at both ends or has been burning the candle at both ends. When workload or wellbeing is the real subject, use the idiom with care and add a clear, supportive response.
Practice with the written examples
You can practice with the written questions in the Learn tab. Each answer includes an explanation.
Try the written questionsListening test not available yet
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Try the written questionsQuestions about "Burn the candle at both ends: meaning and use"
What does burn the candle at both ends mean?
Burn the candle at both ends means keep a very demanding schedule that uses a lot of time and energy. It often refers to staying busy late and then starting again early. The idiom can suggest that the pace is tiring or hard to continue.
After answering client messages until midnight and starting again at six, Dev said he had been burning the candle at both ends.
How do I use burn the candle at both ends in a sentence?
Use the phrase with burn and a person as the subject. Common forms are 'She is burning the candle at both ends' and 'They have been burning the candle at both ends.' The continuous forms make it clear that the demanding period is happening now or has continued until now.
Dev finished work at five and kept the evening free before starting at nine the next morning.
Is burn the candle at both ends formal or informal?
Burn the candle at both ends is most natural in conversation, personal writing, and informal workplace talk. In a formal report or when you need precision, describe the actual situation instead. You can name late hours, early starts, staffing limits, or a deadline that needs to move.
Marta is burning the candle at both ends while she attends an evening course and opens the shop early.
Can I say someone else is burning the candle at both ends?
You can, but use the phrase carefully. It may sound concerned, or it may sound as if you are judging another person's choices. If you do not know the full situation, name the facts you have noticed and ask a practical question about workload or support.
Marta attends her evening course twice a week and starts work later on those mornings.
What can I say instead of burn the candle at both ends?
You can say that someone has had late nights and early starts, has too much on their schedule, or needs more time for a task. Those direct phrases work well when the listener needs a clear description. They also make it easier to discuss a specific change or offer of help.
I have been burning the candle at both ends since the move, so I am taking Saturday off.