# a hundred and ten percent

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/a-hundred-and-ten-percent
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A level of effort beyond what one can usually sustain; great exertion.

## Examples

- She always gives a hundred and ten percent at work.
- I give a hundred and ten percent when I practice the piano.
- Do you really give a hundred and ten percent in every gym session?
- The team gave a hundred and ten percent to finish the project before the deadline.
- If you want to win the scholarship, you must give a hundred and ten percent during your interview tomorrow.
- The volunteers are giving a hundred and ten percent to clean up the park after the storm.
- The lead singer gave a hundred and ten percent during the final encore, even though his voice was starting to fail after the long tour.
- Though exhausted, the athlete dug deep and found a hundred and ten percent for that final sprint across the finish line.

## Origin

From the twentieth-century metaphor of operating a machine at higher than its rated capacity. The figure suggests a state of exertion that exceeds the normal maximum of a specific parameter, such as speed or temperature. To offer a hundred and ten percent is to treat the human output as a mechanical system pushed beyond its engineering limits.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.