on the rack
Suffering from great stress or anxiety; in a very difficult or stressful position. The whole family was on the rack waiting for the doctors to give them an update. They had the reigning champions on the rack for first half of the game.
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.
on the rack
Under great stress, as in I was on the rack while I waited for the test results. This expression, alluding to a medieval instrument of torture to which the victim was fastened and stretched, has been used figuratively since the late 1500s. Shakespeare had it in The Merchant of Venice (3:2): "Let me choose, for as I am I live upon the rack."
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
on the rack
mainly BRITISHIf someone is on the rack, they are in a very difficult situation, often one in which they are suffering anxiety or distress. With ministers again on the rack over this new scandal, you have to wonder how long this government will last. She and Michael listened closely, on the rack of apprehension. Note: You can also say that you put someone on the rack. We were fairly evenly matched in the first half of the game but we really put them on the rack in the second half. Note: The rack was an instrument of torture which was used in the past. Prisoners were tied to the rack, and their arms and legs were stretched until they confessed or told secrets, or died.
Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012
on the rack
suffering intense distress or strain.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
on the ˈrack
in a state of anxiety, stress, pain, etc: After three weeks had passed and she had still not heard from her daughter, Joan was on the rack.The rack was an instrument of torture, used in the past for punishing and hurting people. Their arms and legs were tied to a wooden frame and then pulled in opposite directions, stretching the body.Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017
on the rack
Under great stress.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.