on tiptoe
on tiptoe — idiom
1. feeling excited and eagerly anticipating something about to happen, as if ready
feeling excited and eagerly anticipating something about to happen, as if ready to act the moment it begins
The children were on tiptoe all morning, waiting for the birthday party to finally begin.
phrase used for eager anticipation
Mira had been on tiptoe all week, counting the days until her flight to Kyoto.
on tiptoe + time duration
With the announcement due at noon, the staff were on tiptoe with nervous excitement.
The Okonkwo family was on tiptoe as the college acceptance letters began to arrive.
Caleb was on tiptoe backstage, peeking through the curtain at the growing crowd.
- eager
direct adjective describing the feeling, less vivid than the idiom
- on edge
implies nervous tension rather than positive excitement
- on pins and needles
stronger sense of anxious waiting, often less positive
- keyed up
informal, suggests nervous energy
- indifferent
lack of interest or concern, opposite of eager anticipation
- unmoved
not affected emotionally, opposite of being aroused or alert
文法句型
be on tiptoe
be on tiptoe with [emotion]
be on tiptoe for [event]
用法筆記
Commonly appears as a predicate after the verb 'be'. The phrase draws on the physical image of someone literally rising onto their toes to get a better view — it describes a state of heightened readiness or anticipation. Distinguish from the literal meaning (standing or walking on the tips of one's toes), which is also common and follows the same syntax but describes physical posture rather than an emotional state.