by the skin of one's teeth

/baɪ ðə skɪn əv wʌnz tit̮z/

phrase★Intermediate◆idiom

◆ What It Really Means

To barely succeed or escape by a very narrow margin.

¶ Literal Meaning

To have one's teeth so close to the skin that they can barely escape.

Literal Breakdown

by the skinvery close to+of one's teeththe teeth being very close to the skin

◇ Mental Image

The mental picture is of someone's teeth being so close to the skin that they can barely escape, symbolizing a very narrow margin of success or survival.

◈ When to Use

Imagine a student who just barely passes an exam by getting the last question right. You could say, 'He passed the exam by the skin of his teeth.'

◉ Cultural Note

The phrase originates from the Bible (Job 19:20), where it describes a situation where the speaker's teeth are so close to the skin that they can barely escape. Over time, it has evolved to mean barely succeeding or escaping by a very narrow margin.

informal

To succeed or escape by a very narrow margin; to barely achieve something.

The team won the championship by the skin of their teeth.

The team won the championship by a very narrow margin.

She avoided the accident by the skin of her teeth.

She narrowly avoided the accident.

💡

This idiom is often used to describe a situation where success or survival was extremely close to failure.

Synonyms

Antonyms

Related Phrases

by a hair's breadthidiom

by a very small margin

narrow escapephrase

a situation where someone barely avoids danger

💡Pro Tip

Usage Tip

Use this idiom to describe situations where success or survival was extremely close to failure.

⚡Gold Rule

Correct Usage

Ensure the idiom is used in contexts where a very narrow margin of success or escape is implied.

📖Word Origin

📝Usage Notes

This idiom is commonly used in informal contexts to emphasize how close someone or something was to failure or disaster.

English Dictionary