# borrowed time

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/borrowed-time
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A period of time whose precise duration is not known but which can be expected to be quite limited, and at the end of which one's situation, benefits, or opportunities will be entirely terminated.

## Examples

- The old car is on borrowed time.
- The company has been losing money for months, so the manager knows the project is on borrowed time.
- After the structural failure was discovered in the historic bridge, engineers warned the city that the entire span was operating on borrowed time.

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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.