not worth the candle

adjective

Not worth the cost or trouble.

OriginFrench le jeu n'en vaut pas la chandelle →
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Meanings

adjectivenot worth the candle (not comparable)
  1. not comparableNot worth the cost or trouble.

Origin

  1. Frenchle jeu n'en vaut pas la chandelle
  2. Englishnot worth the candle

Calque of French le jeu n'en vaut pas la chandelle.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

not worth the candle. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/not%20worth%20the%20candle

MLA

“not worth the candle.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/not%20worth%20the%20candle. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “not worth the candle,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/not%20worth%20the%20candle.

Source: not worth the candle on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.