Word.ws English Dictionary

on one's beam ends

on one's beam ends prepositional phrase: in a parlous or destitute state.

Prepositional phrase

  1. (UK, dated) In a parlous or destitute state.

Origin of on one's beam ends

By analogy with a capsizing ship; see usage note at beam-ends.

Questions about on one's beam ends

What does on one's beam ends mean?
On one's beam ends means in a parlous or destitute state.
What part of speech is on one's beam ends?
On one's beam ends is a prepositional phrase.

Words near on one's beam ends in the dictionary

  1. on oath
  2. on occasion
  3. on offer
  4. on one hand
  5. on one's back
  6. on one's beam ends
  7. on one's behaviour
  8. on one's bill
  9. on one's conscience
  10. on one's deathbed
  11. on one's feet

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: on one's beam ends (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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