borrowed time

== English == === Pronunciation === === Noun === borrowed time (uncountable) (idiomatic) 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. to live on borrowed time A length of time whose duration has traditionally expired, but which continues nonetheless. ==== Usage notes ==== Often preceded by the preposition on. ==== Translations ==== === References === “borrowed time”, in OneLook Dictionary Search. “be (living) on borrowed time”, in Lexico, Dictionary.com; Oxford University Press, 2019–2022.