How do you use "On one's last legs" in a sentence?

That old car is on its last legs. I'm on my last legs—need a break. The company was on its last legs before the merger.

On one's last legs

Q: What does "On one's last legs" mean?

Near exhaustion, collapse, or death. About to give out or fail. Can describe people, machines, or situations that are barely functioning.

Slang Term BritishAmericanAustralian ★★★★☆ Common Casual

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Meaning: Near exhaustion, collapse, or death.

接近精疲力竭、崩溃或死亡。

A punto del agotamiento, el colapso o la muerte.

疲労困憊や崩壊、死の間際にある状態。

극도로 지치거나 붕괴 또는 죽음 직전인.

About to give out or fail. Can describe people, machines, or situations that are barely functioning.

快要垮掉或失败。可以形容人、机器或勉强维持运转的状况。

A punto de rendirse o fallar. Puede describir personas, máquinas o situaciones que apenas funcionan.

もうすぐ力尽きる、または壊れそうな状態。人、機械、状況など、かろうじて機能しているものを表す。

곧 쓰러지거나 고장나기 직전인 상태. 사람, 기계, 상황이 간신히 기능하고 있는 것을 묘사할 수 있다.

Literal meaning: Using final reserves of strength to stand

Examples

That old car is on its last legs.
那辆旧车已经快报废了
Ese coche viejo está en las últimas
あの古い車はもう限界だ
저 낡은 차는 이제 한계야.
I'm on my last legs—need a break.
我快撑不住了，需要休息
Estoy agotado, necesito un descanso
へとへとだから休憩が必要だ
나 완전 녹초야—쉬어야 해.
The company was on its last legs before the merger.
合并前公司已经奄奄一息了
La empresa estaba en las últimas antes de la fusión
合併前、その会社は瀕死の状態だった
합병 전에 그 회사는 거의 망하기 직전이었다.

Pronunciation

/ɒn wʌnz lɑːst leɡz/

Usage Guide

Context: exhaustion, failure, near collapse

Tone: emphatic, dramatic

✓ Do Say

I'm on my last legs.
我快撑不住了
Estoy en las últimas
もう限界だ
나 완전 녹초야.
The car is on its last legs.
车快报废了
El coche está en las últimas
車がもう限界だ
그 차는 이제 한계야.
Company was on its last legs.
公司快撑不下去了
La empresa estaba en las últimas
会社は瀕死だった
회사가 거의 망하기 직전이었어.

✗ Don't Say

About to collapse
About to collapse（太直白）
About to collapse（demasiado directo）
About to collapse（直訳的すぎる）
곧 쓰러질 것 같은
Nearly finished
Nearly finished（太直白）
Nearly finished（demasiado directo）
Nearly finished（直訳的すぎる）
거의 끝난

Common Mistakes

Can apply to people, machines, organizations
Emphasizes how close to failure something is

Origin & History

From the image of someone barely able to stand.

Etymology: English idiom

First recorded: 17th century

Cultural Context

Era: Traditional to present

Generation: All ages

Social background: Universal

Pop culture: Common idiom; Business/technology contexts

Regional notes: Universal across English-speaking world.

Variations

On one's last legsOn its last legsOn my last legs