burned the candle at both ends

A form of burn the candle at both ends — To work hard night and day; to sleep late and wake up early; to overwork or overexert oneself.

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Meanings

verb
  1. participlepastsimple past and past participle of burn the candle at both ends
Cite this entry
APA

burned the candle at both ends. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/burned%20the%20candle%20at%20both%20ends

MLA

“burned the candle at both ends.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/burned%20the%20candle%20at%20both%20ends. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “burned the candle at both ends,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/burned%20the%20candle%20at%20both%20ends.

Source: burned the candle at both ends on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.