work on all cylinders

work on all cylinders

1. To have all cylinders in an engine functioning. There's something wrong with my car—it's definitely not working on all cylinders.

2. By extension, to function or operate at the most desirable or greatest possible level of efficiency, speed, or productivity. (Usually used in the continuous tense.) The new website will be working on all cylinders once we get the comments section up and running! I only work on all cylinders after I've had my coffee.

See also: all, cylinder, on, work

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

firing/working on all ˈcylinders

(informal) using all your energy to do something; working as well as possible: The 24-year-old player feels that he is not yet firing on all cylinders.

See also: all, cylinder, firing, on, working

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017