English Reference
Idiom idiom

one's days are numbered


Some period of time, such as a term of employment or a lifetime, is coming to an end.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

“His days are numbered at this company.”

CONTEXTUAL

“When the new manager arrived, the lazy assistant knew his days were numbered.”

COMPLEX

“As the regime's grip tightened and foreign aid dried up, the embattled president sensed his days were numbered, yet he refused to flee.”


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    a cold day in July

    The time of occurrence of an event that will never happen.

  2. 02

    a day late and a dollar short

    Too late and too feeble to achieve the desired effect.

  3. 03

    a year and a day

    A long time.

  4. 04

    abound in one's own sense

    To follow one’s own inclinations and opinions.

  5. 05

    ace up one's sleeve

    A surprise advantage of which others are not aware.

  6. 06

    act one's age

    To behave in a manner appropriate to one's age.

  7. 07

    act one's age, not one's shoe size

    Synonym of act one's age (“to behave in a mature manner; to avoid being childish”).

  8. 08

    afraid of one's own shadow

    Exceptionally timid.

Last updated August 10, 2026