If you are on thebrinkof something, usually something important, terrible, or exciting, you are just about to do it or experience it.
Their economy is teetering on the brink of collapse. [+ of]
Failure to communicate had brought the two nations to the brink of war. [+ of]
Synonyms: edge, point, limit, border More Synonyms of brink
brink in British English
(brɪŋk)
noun
1.
the edge, border, or verge of a steep place
the brink of the precipice
2.
the highest point; top
the sun fell below the brink of the hill
3.
the land at the edge of a body of water
4.
the verge of an event or state
the brink of disaster
Word origin
C13: from Middle Dutch brinc, of Germanic origin; compare Old Norse brekka slope, Middle Low German brink edge of a field
brink in American English
(brɪŋk)
noun
1.
the edge, esp. at the top of a steep place; verge
often used figuratively
at the brink of war
2.
the bank, esp. when steep, of a river or other body of water
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈborder
Word origin
ME < MLowG or Dan, shore, bank, grassy edge; prob. < IE *bhreng-, var. of base *bhren-, project, edge > L frons, front1
Examples of 'brink' in a sentence
brink
Hundreds of companies have already gone bankrupt and countries pushed to the brink of collapse.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In early 2009 he was on the brink of bankruptcy.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
With the party on the brink of civil war, that assessment is perhaps too optimistic.
The Sun (2016)
With the country on the brink of economic collapse, the protests have become bigger and more frequent.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The residents of eastern Aleppo endured another day of fear and uncertainty yesterday after a fragile evacuation deal teetered on the brink of collapse.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
The real threat is to the country's already overstretched banks, some of which are teetering on the brink of collapse.
The Sun (2016)
In the final game they gave up a 5-1 lead and seemed on the brink of collapse when rain temporarily stopped play, allowing them to regroup.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We have taken it back from the brink of bankruptcy.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The alternative is acute embarrassment and a sport on the brink of disaster.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
We are on the brink of something truly special in our country.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Road accidents and loss of habitat have pushed the wildcat to the brink of extinction.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
The country also stands on the brink of war.
The Sun (2012)
The economy was on the brink of collapse.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
They stood on the brink of bankruptcy and all ideas for regeneration were welcome.
Stewart Lamont WHEN SCOTLAND RULED THE WORLD: The Story of the Golden Age of Genius, Creativityand Exploration (2002)
Does this hyperactivity mean that the world economy is on the brink of catastrophe?
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
The question is whether we are on the brink of something bigger.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Now they are on the brink of extinction.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Instead he constantly found himself on the brink of bankruptcy.
Arthur Herman THE SCOTTISH ENLIGHTENMENT: The Scots' Invention of the Modern World (2002)
It rescued the club from the brink of disaster.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
The figures also show we are on the brink of something unusual.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Its population is so small that forecasts put it on the brink of extinction.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
They perceived him as an obstacle to their aggressive policies leading to the brink of war and beyond.
The Times Literary Supplement (2014)
In parts of the country, the ecosystem is on the brink of collapse.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
We can't have a party on the brink of civil war running the country.
The Sun (2010)
Many experts had warned for years that New Orleans was teetering on the brink of catastrophe.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
In other languages
brink
British English: brink NOUN
If you are on the brink of something important, terrible, or exciting, you are just about to do it or experience it.
Their economy is teetering on the brink of collapse.
American English: brink
Brazilian Portuguese: beira
Chinese: 边缘
European Spanish: borde
French: bord
German: Rand
Italian: orlo
Japanese: 寸前
Korean: ~하기 직전인
European Portuguese: beira
Latin American Spanish: borde
Chinese translation of 'brink'
brink
(brɪŋk)
n
to be on the brink of[disaster, war etc]在 ... 的边(邊)缘(緣) (zài ... de biānyuán)
(noun)
Definition
the land at the edge of a body of water
Their economy is teetering on the brink of collapse.
Synonyms
edge
She was standing at the water's edge.
point
limit
the city limits
border
pillowcases trimmed with a hand-crocheted border
lip
the lip of the jug
margin
These islands are on the margins of human habitation.
boundary
Our organization now operates across national boundaries.
skirt
the skirts of the hill
frontier
It wasn't difficult to cross the frontier.
fringe
They lived together on the fringe of the campus.
verge (British)
The car pulled over on to the verge off the road.
threshold
We are on the threshold of a new era in astronomy.
rim
round the eastern rim of the Mediterranean
brim
She filled her glass right up to the brim.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of border
Definition
a design around the edge of something
pillowcases trimmed with a hand-crocheted border
Synonyms
edge,
lip,
margin,
skirt,
verge (British),
rim,
hem,
brim,
flange
in the sense of boundary
Definition
something that indicates the farthest limit, such as of an area
Our organization now operates across national boundaries.