Phrase guide

the game is not worth the candle

proverb · 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

proverb

Meaning 1

The process or result is not worth the effort.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: the juice is worth the squeeze

History

Etymology

Calque of French le jeu ne vaut pas la chandelle.

Across languages

Translations

3 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 得不償失 /得不偿失 (débùchángshī) — the process or result is not worth the effort
  • Polish: gra nie jest warta świeczki — the process or result is not worth the effort
  • Russian: игра не стоит свеч (igra ne stoit sveč) — the process or result is not worth the effort