borrowed time

collocation in English

meaningsofborrowandtime

These words are often used together. Click on the links below to explore the meanings. Or,see other collocations withtime.
borrow
verb
uk
/ˈbɒr.əʊ/us
/ˈbɑːr.oʊ/
to get or receive something from someone with the intention of giving it back after a period ...
See more atborrow
time
noun
uk
/taɪm/us
/taɪm/
the part of existence that is measured in minutes, days, years, etc., or this process considered as ...
See more attime

(Definition ofborrowandtimefrom theCambridge English Dictionary© Cambridge University Press)

Examplesofborrowed time

These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
As much as the republic lived on borrowed money, it lived even more onborrowedtime.
From theCambridge English Corpus
And near the end of life you may live onborrowedtime('continue living beyond the time when you were expected to die').
From theCambridge English Corpus
The two boards are living onborrowedtime.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
As a society, we are living onborrowedtimeand borrowed capital.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
They had to play onborrowedtimefor long enough, and it nearly came off.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I have always regarded the time since the end of the war asborrowedtime.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We are living onborrowedtimeand borrowed money.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Ealing council is living onborrowedtimeand on borrowed money.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I have lived onborrowedtime, like all of us who were in the forces.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
But for all that time it has been living onborrowedtime.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
They are living onborrowedtimeand borrowed money already.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Borrowedtimeshould count against the evader, not for him.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
A 45-year lapse between crimes and their prosecution is in fact a period ofborrowedtime.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
It is no longer a vulnerable local wood existing onborrowedtimeand with gifts of money.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I am very conscious that we are now, and have been for some minutes, onborrowedtime; we were hoping to finish at seven o'clock.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
Fortunately for our country, time has run out for a party living on borrowed money and onborrowedtime.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
One thing must be absolutely clear; we cannot go on living onborrowedtimeand on borrowed money.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
If we have to cancel training exercises, because of stretch and the budgetary pressures, we shall be living onborrowedtime.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
We are living onborrowedtimeand, because it isborrowed,timeis not on our side.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
I am onborrowedtime.
From the
Hansard archive
Example from the Hansard archive. Contains Parliamentary information licensed under theOpen Parliament Licence v3.0
These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Any opinions in the examples do not represent the opinion of the Cambridge Dictionary editors or of Cambridge University Press or its licensors.
Want to learn more?
Go to the definition ofborrow
Go to the definition oftime
See other collocations withtime