on pins and needles

prepositional phrase

Feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.

Similar
on tenterhooks
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Meanings

prepositional phrase
  1. idiomaticFeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.

    I was on pins and needles of expectation and curiosity.

    1923, Hugh Lofting, chapter 1, in The Voyages of Doctor Dolittle, part 5
    1 more example

    Merlin hesitated a moment or two, and I was on pins and needles during that little while.

    1889, Mark Twain, chapter 6, in A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

    Synonyms: on tenterhooks

Synonyms & antonyms

prepositional phraseFeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety; in a state of suspense.

Similar
on tenterhooks
Also see
shpilkes

Translations

Catalan amb l'ai al cor
  • amb l'ai al corfeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Chinese Mandarin 焦慮不安 /焦虑不安, 如坐針氈 /如坐针毡
  • 焦慮不安 /焦虑不安 (jiāolǜbù'ān)feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • 如坐針氈 /如坐针毡 (rúzuòzhēnzhān)feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • 提心吊膽 /提心吊胆 (tíxīndiàodǎn)feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • 懸心吊膽 /悬心吊胆 (xuánxīndiàodǎn)feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • 坐立不安 (zuòlìbù'ān)feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Danish oppe på lakridserne, på stikkerne
  • oppe på lakridsernefeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • på stikkernefeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Dutch op hete kolen
  • op hete kolenfeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Finnish kuin tulisilla hiilillä
  • kuin tulisilla hiililläfeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Hungarian alig vár, tűkön ül
  • alig várfeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • tűkön ülfeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Irish ar bís
  • ar bísfeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Italian in sospeso, sui carboni ardenti
  • in sospesofeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • sui carboni ardentifeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • sulle spinefeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Korean 안절부절, 안절부절못하다
  • 안절부절 (anjeolbujeol)feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • 안절부절못하다 (anjeolbujeolmothada)feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Polish jak na szpilkach
  • jak na szpilkachfeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Romanian ca pe ace
  • ca pe acefeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Russian как на иго́лках
  • как на иго́лках (kak na igólkax)feeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Scottish Gaelic air bhioran
  • air bhioranfeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Spanish a la expectativa, con el alma en vilo
  • a la expectativafeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • con el alma en vilofeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • en ascuasfeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
  • en vilofeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Swedish hålla någon på halster
  • hålla någon på halsterfeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Turkish diken üstünde
  • diken üstündefeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Vietnamese nhấp nhổm
  • nhấp nhổmfeeling sharp anticipation or anxiety
Cite this entry
APA

on pins and needles. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20pins%20and%20needles

MLA

“on pins and needles.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20pins%20and%20needles. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “on pins and needles,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/on%20pins%20and%20needles.

Source: on pins and needles on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.