burn the candle at both ends (English, verb)
expansion: burn the candle at both ends (third-person singular simple present burns the candle at both ends, present participle burning the candle at both ends, simple past and past participle burned the candle at both ends or burnt the candle at both ends)
Senses:
glosses: To work hard night and day; to sleep late and wake up early; to overwork or overexert oneself.
tags: idiomatic
glosses: To waste or expend resources twice over; to be doubly profligate.
tags: dated
idiomatic
Forms:
form: burns the candle at both ends
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: burning the candle at both ends
tags: participle
present
form: burned the candle at both ends
tags: participle
past
form: burned the candle at both ends
tags: past
form: burnt the candle at both ends
tags: participle
past
form: burnt the candle at both ends
tags: past
form: burn one's candle at both ends
tags: alternative