on the edge

au bord de, sur le point de

Être tout près d’un événement, d’un sentiment ou d’un état particulier.

En anglais simple : You are very close to a particular event, feeling, or state.

• She was on the edge of tears.
• The country stood on the edge of war.
• Are we on the edge of a major discovery?

Comment l'utiliser : on the edge of something (The company is on the edge of collapse.); on the edge of doing something (She was on the edge of giving up.)

Synonymes : on the verge of, on the brink of

Expressions courantes : on the edge of, on the edge emotionally

dans une situation précaire, au bord du gouffre

Être près de graves difficultés parce qu’il ne reste presque plus d’argent, de forces ou de soutien.

En anglais simple : You are close to serious trouble because you have almost no money, strength, or support left.

• Many families are on the edge.
• After months without work, he was on the edge financially.
• Rising bills pushed households already on the edge into debt.

Synonymes : in difficulty, at breaking point

Contraires : secure

Expressions courantes : families on the edge, on the edge financially

dangereusement, sur le fil

Ressentir de l’excitation en prenant des risques ou en faisant des choses dangereuses.

En anglais simple : You feel excited because you are taking risks or doing dangerous things.

• He likes living on the edge.
• Racing motorbikes keeps her on the edge.
• They spent their holiday on the edge, climbing cliffs without ropes.

Synonymes : dangerously

Expressions courantes : live on the edge, life on the edge