burnt 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

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

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