Meaning
To wear oneself out by overextending in multiple directions at once — working long hours, staying up late socializing, or juggling too many commitments without adequate rest.
The phrase implies a self-imposed, often reckless pace: the person exhausting themselves usually knows the cost but continues anyway, whether out of ambition, necessity, or a refusal to slow down.
Origin
The expression is a direct translation of the French “brûler la chandelle par les deux bouts,” attested since the 16th century, when candles — made of costly tallow or wax — were domestic necessities meant to be used sparingly. Lighting one from both ends produced barely more light while consuming it twice as fast, making the act a vivid image of pointless waste; the English version picked up this sense of extravagance by the early 17th century. The phrase’s modern meaning of self-exhaustion crystallized much later, popularized above all by Edna St. Vincent Millay’s 1920 poem “First Fig” (“My candle burns at both ends; / It will not last the night”), which reframed the wasteful image as a defiant, if costly, way of living intensely.
Examples
She’s been burning the candle at both ends all semester — late-night shifts at the café, then straight to early morning lectures.
He kept burning the candle at both ends until his body finally forced him to take a week off.
Try not to burn the candle at both ends before the wedding; you’ll want energy to actually enjoy it.
A: “You look exhausted.” B: “Yeah, I’ve been burning the candle at both ends — new baby and a huge project at work.”
Frequently asked questions
What does 'Burn the candle at both ends' mean?
To wear oneself out by overextending in multiple directions at once — working long hours, staying up late socializing, or juggling too many commitments without adequate rest.
The phrase implies a self-imposed, often reckless pace: the person exhausting themselves usually knows the cost but continues anyway, whether out of ambition, necessity, or a refusal to slow down.