Cambridge Dictionaries online Cambridge Dictionaries online

The most popular online dictionary and thesaurus for learners of English

  

tenterhooks

noun [plural]
 
 
/ˈten.tə.hʊks/ US  /-t̬ɚ-/

Definition

on tenterhooks worried or nervous about something that is going to happen: We were on tenterhooks all morning waiting for the phone to ring.Anxious and worried
(Definition of tenterhooks noun from the Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary & Thesaurus © Cambridge University Press)

Word of the Day

throw caution to the wind/winds

to do something without worrying about the risk or negative results

Word of the Day

Blog

Read our blog about how the English language behaves.

Learn More

New Words

Find words and meanings that have just started to be used in English, and let us know what you think of them.

Learn More