on the verge of — very close to doing something or experiencing something; about to happen
Part of speech: NOUN
Definition: very close to doing something or experiencing something; about to happen
Pronunciation (IPA): /ɑːn ðə ˈvɜːrdʒ ʌv/
Example Sentences
- My phone battery is on the verge of dying, but I'm on the verge of beating the final boss!
- The company was on the verge of launching its revolutionary product.
- After eating 50 chicken wings, Jake was on the verge of exploding like a balloon.
on the verge of
NOUN[/ɑːn ðə ˈvɜːrdʒ ʌv/]
very close to doing something or experiencing something; about to happen
She stood on the verge of tears as the final credits rolled.
On the verge of a surge, two waves merge!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
The word 'verge' derives from Latin 'virga', meaning a rod or staff, which in medieval times referred to the rod of office symbolizing royal authority. Over time, the meaning evolved from a physical rod to denote a boundary line or edge, and eventually came to mean the threshold or brink of a state or condition.
Breakdown
Latin 'virga' (rod, staff, boundary) → 'verge' (edge, brink, threshold). The semantic shift reflects the progression from a literal boundary-marking object to an abstract concept of being on the edge of something.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My phone battery is on the verge of dying, but I'm on the verge of beating the final boss!”
“The company was on the verge of launching its revolutionary product.”
“After eating 50 chicken wings, Jake was on the verge of exploding like a balloon.”
“The negotiations are on the verge of reaching a settlement.”
📚Related Words
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