have one foot in the grave


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have one foot in the grave

To be on the verge of death. When I had the flu last week, I felt like I had one foot in the grave. The way the nurses are talking, it sounds like Great-Uncle Edmund already has one foot in the grave—you better come to the hospital quick.
See also: foot, grave, have, one
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

have one foot in the grave

Fig. to be almost dead. I was so sick, I felt as if I had one foot in the grave. Poor old Uncle Herman has one foot in the grave.
See also: foot, grave, have, one
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

one foot in the grave, have

Be close to death or in terrible condition, as in Jane looks as though she has one foot in the grave. This picturesque hyperbolic phrase was first recorded in 1566.
See also: foot, have, one
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

have one foot in the grave

be near death through old age or illness. informal, often humorous
See also: foot, grave, have, one
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

have ˌone foot in the ˈgrave

(informal, humorous) be so old or ill that you probably will not live much longer: I may be retired, but that doesn’t mean I’ve got one foot in the grave, you know.
See also: foot, grave, have, one
Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

have one foot in the grave

tv. to be near death. (Have got can replace have.) I feel like I’ve got one foot in the grave.
See also: foot, grave, have, one
McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.

have one foot in the grave

Informal
To be on the verge of death, as from illness or severe trauma.
See also: foot, grave, have, one
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
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