on pins and needles

Cultural  

1. In a state of anxiety or tense expectation: “Jackie was on pins and needles waiting to hear about her job application.”

---

on pins and needles Idioms  

1. Nervously anxious, as in He was on pins and needles, waiting for the test results. The graphic expression pins and needles for the tingling sensation experienced in recovering from numbness was transferred to a feeling of marked mental uneasiness about 1800.

---

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

on pins and needles

Scientists, engineers and the flight team were “waiting on pins and needles to hear back from Voyager 2, to see if the command was successful,” Dr. Spilker said.

From New York Times ● Aug. 4, 2023

"We're on pins and needles to see if Powell will say anything that suggests they will taper the size of rate increases going forward," Hogan said, referring to Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

From Reuters ● Oct. 31, 2022

“You’re always on pins and needles in those situations,” Scherzer said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2021

Well, it turns out the Price household was doing a fair bit of speculating as well and was on pins and needles like the rest of us until the morning of the draft.

From Seattle Times ● Aug. 3, 2021

“We’re on pins and needles, mate,” said Mother.

From "City Spies" by James Ponti

Related Words

• anxious
• apprehensive
• edgy
• excitable
• fidgety
• jumpy
• panicky
• restless
• shaky
• skittish
• spooked
• tense
• uneasy
• uptight