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Glite Dictionary
juggling act

juggling act

3 4.9
A situation where a person manages several important tasks at once, often with difficulty
  • noun
  • /ˈdʒʌɡlɪŋ ækt/
  • Informal
translation icon : número de malabarismo
  • Protecting the interests of all three requires a juggling act.

So that is the juggling act and the puzzle we're trying to solve and we'll solve, but I don't know how quickly we will.

Examples

  • Every day is just a juggling act; that's all there is to it.

    Blog text (3)

  • Deciding how to teach one-on-one is like a juggling act.

    Academic text (2003)

  • It's a juggling act just to make my life work.

    The Drowning Pool (1975)

  • When the season gets into play, it becomes more of a juggling act...

    Academic text (2002)

  • It's difficult for a movie to pull that juggling act off, let alone a game.

    Blog text (28)

  • This is the juggling act that the current government and future governments must handle with care.

    Blog text (3)

  • There is a real juggling act taking place for every conductor or coach.

    Blog text (4)

  • It is a bit of a juggling act making sure these guys get their best club opportunities.

    Blog text (31)

  • What gets to be a juggling act is keeping all of the balls in sync: collection, materials handling, economics, and markets.

    Academic text (1998)

  • Managing work, children, and household chores is a real juggling act for many parents.

Synonyms

balancing act
vsjuggling act
  • Informal
23 4.4

A situation of managing two or more important things at the same time, like work and family

is about handling many tasks at once, often under strain

Antonyms

focus
794 3.5

Close attention to one subject or activity

simplicity
63 1.7

Being easy to understand and not complicated

How Demanding

crisis
∞ 3.1
juggling act
  • Informal
3 4.9
balancing act
  • Informal
23 4.4
routine
263 1.0

Surface Forms

juggling act singular
juggling acts plural

Morphology

juggle + act

The phrase 'juggling act' is compositionally an 'act' of 'juggling' — with 'juggle' conveying balancing or managing multiple tasks and 'act' marking an instance or performance — so the overall meaning of managing several responsibilities is directly inferable. The metaphor of a juggling performance for handling tasks is common and accessible, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents can reliably understand it.

Etymology

The noun juggling act comes from the image of a juggler in a show who keeps several balls or objects in the air at once, since juggling is the skill and an act is a short part of a show. So, a 'juggling act' means trying to manage many tasks or responsibilities at the same time, often with difficulty.