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Glite Dictionary
to hang in the balance

to hang in the balance

37 6.8
To be in a situation where the result is not decided, for example a job or game
  • idiom
translation icon : estar en el aire
  • The fate of the global economy hangs in the balance.
  • life hangs in the balance
  • still hangs in the balance

And so I was super dedicated to creating this foundation of, of sobriety because my life truly did hang in the balance.

Examples

  • For a few seconds, Harry let his future hang in the balance as he contemplated his next move.

    Fiction book (1997)

  • Can we afford to wait and debate the matter while children's lives hang in the balance?

    Academic text (1994)

  • Maybe so, but millions of lives are hanging in the balance.

    Air Force One (1997)

  • Tell them, their future hangs in the balance.

    Dune: Part Two (2024)

  • Individual rights, civil rights, and civil liberties thus hang in the balance.

    Academic text (2003)

  • The fate of the nation hangs in the balance.

    Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies (2012)

  • The future of two fighters hangs in the balance.

    Creed III (2023)

  • The country's future hangs in the balance.

    The Favourite (2018)

  • Indeed, the fate of Hong Kong's environment still hangs in the balance.

    Academic text (1990)

  • The future of this fine museum may very well hang in the balance.

Synonyms

to hang by a thread
vsto hang in the balance
  • Informal
1 6.1

In a very dangerous situation where a small problem can cause everything to fail

is about being uncertain where the final outcome is not yet decided
hanging by a thread
vsto hang in the balance
  • Informal
7.3

In a very risky situation where failure can happen at any moment

is about uncertainty rather than an immediate collapse or failure
to hang by a hair
vsto hang in the balance
  • Informal
9.1

To be in a very risky situation and about to fail

is about uncertainty rather than an immediate nearly certain failure

Antonyms

decided
2.6

Very clear and easy to notice

settled
3.3

Stable and unlikely to change

How Certain

certain
946 1.0
likely
∞ 1.0
uncertain
149 2.8
to hang in the balance
37 6.8
in question
150 5.8

Surface Forms

hang in the balance infinitive
hanging in the balance present participle
hangs in the balance third person singular
hung in the balance past
hung in the balance past participle

Morphology

hang + in + the + balance

The constituents 'hang' (to be suspended) and 'balance' (equilibrium) combine to evoke a clear image of something suspended precariously, so a learner who knows the words can often infer that the outcome is uncertain or in danger. However, this is a metaphorical extension rather than a literal compositional meaning, so the exact sense (an undecided outcome) is not entirely predictable without exposure.

Etymology

The idiom hang in the balance comes from the image of a simple scale: when something hangs from the balance, the scale may tip either way. That's why the phrase means 'uncertain' or 'not yet decided'.