Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

on the bubble

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.16 in modern English

Syllables: on the bub-ble
IPA

20

Scrabble Score

11

Letters

2

Syllables

8

Unique Chars

Meaning

prep_phrase

Holding the last qualifying position with qualification still in progress, and thus liable to lose that position.

prep_phrase

Having qualification for an event depend on the upcoming performances of other competitors; hence, at risk of being eliminated, and reversely, being close to qualification; on the verge.

prep_phrase

Uncertain of success.

prep_phrase

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see on, bubble.

Example Sentences

"Smith was on the bubble but lost out when Jones was faster by a tenth of a second."
"The Knights had been on the bubble for the tournament, but played their way in by winning their last five games."
"Most players play pretty loose on the bubble, much looser than they theoretically should, and even if I saw an opponent sitting out a few hands, it's more likely that he just hit a run of low cards than that he turned into a locksmith at this stage."
"Lewis and Marc Luttrell are on the bubble because they have yet to make the timed run in Third Phase, but they make this one."
"The new bond issue now appears to be on the bubble, with support eroding."
"Among other aspects of bubble measurement, the researchers were interested in measuring the size of the bubble with a laser scattering technique. A laser is shone on the bubble, which scatters the light."

Etymology

First appears in the US, c. the late 20th century, from the state of Indiana motor racing.

Phrases

bubble team bubble under pole position

Frequently Paired Words

bubble team bubble under pole position qualifiers qualifying

Questions

What does on the bubble mean?: Holding the last qualifying position with qualification still in progress, and thus liable to lose that position.
Where does on the bubble come from?: First appears in the US, c. the late 20th century, from the state of Indiana motor racing.

How to pronounce on the bubble

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “on the bubble”.
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 the bubble”.
Repeat and practice — Say “on the bubble” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.