hand-to-mouth

American  

[hand-tuh-mouth] / ˈhænd təˈmaʊθ /

adjective

1. offering or providing the barest livelihood, sustenance, or support; meager; precarious.

   a hand-to-mouth existence.

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hand-to-mouth British  

adjective

1. with barely enough money or food to satisfy immediate needs

   a hand-to-mouth existence

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Etymology

Origin of hand-to-mouth

First recorded in 1500–10

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

hand-to-mouth

Likewise, Lisa Kibutu, a Kenya Fashion Council board member, says many jobs involving mitumba are "hand-to-mouth" roles that do not allow for growth and social mobility.

From BBC ● May 23, 2026

“It’s just literally hand-to-mouth, what we can get out of the fab and what we can get to customers is how we’re managing it,” said Chief Financial Officer David Zinsner.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 24, 2026

I have always lived hand-to-mouth, and live in a very small mountain town.

From MarketWatch ● Nov. 21, 2025

She noted that “younger kids are at higher risk because they have more hand-to-mouth behavior.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 31, 2025

He is painfully shy, is the dentist; For he lives such a hand-to-mouth life.

From Familiar Faces by Harry Graham