Phrase guide

on one's toes

prep_phrase · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

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1

prep_phrase

Meaning 1

Attentive, active, busy or alert.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

Examples

  • I keep my students on their toes with pop quizzes.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

10 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 使某人保持警覺 /使某人保持警觉 (shǐ mǒurén bǎochí jǐngjué) — attentive, active, busy
  • Finnish: varpaillaan — attentive, active, busy
  • German: auf Trab — attentive, active, busy
  • Norwegian Nynorsk: på tå hev — attentive, active, busy
  • Polish: czujnie — attentive, active, busy
  • Polish: w gotowości — attentive, active, busy
  • Russian: настороже (nastorože) — attentive, active, busy
  • Russian: начеку (načeku) — attentive, active, busy
  • Russian: в тонусе (v tonuse) — attentive, active, busy
  • Swedish: på tårna — attentive, active, busy