Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

on one's last legs

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.20 in modern English

Syllables: on one's last legs
IPA

15

Scrabble Score

14

Letters

1

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

prep_phrase

About to die.

prep_phrase

About to lose viability or become defunct.

Example Sentences

"[A] friend who assists me with a view to future profit . . . lies like the fox's scent when on his last legs, increasing every moment."
"He is on his last legs. His kidneys are 'most gone. Remember, 'tis I must bury him."
"My computer's on its last legs; it crashes running Minesweeper."
"[T]he wood was main dark, but had a kind of a low glow in it like a fire on its last legs."

Phrases

not have a leg to stand on have seen one's last gum tree

Frequently Paired Words

not have a leg to stand on have seen one's last gum tree

Questions

What does on one's last legs mean?: About to die.

How to pronounce on one's last legs

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “on one's last legs”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “on one's last legs”.
Repeat and practice — Say “on one's last legs” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.