- At the last possible moment before a deadline or before something significant happens.
- Very late, just before it's too late.
Explanation
Origin
- Comes from the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard in the Bible (Matthew 20:1-16).
- In the parable, a landowner hires workers throughout the day, some early, some later. He hires the last group about the eleventh hour (the day was considered to have 12 hours of daylight, so the eleventh hour was very near the end).
- Despite working only one hour, they received the same pay as those who worked all day.
- The phrase came to signify the latest possible time to do something, just before the end.
Synonyms & Related Expressions
Alternatives
Slang/Informal:
- Under the gun (Working under pressure, often near a deadline) Describes the pressure, not just the timing.
Milder/More Neutral:
- Very late
- Shortly before the deadline
Emphasizing Risk:
- Leaving it dangerously late
Situational Appropriateness
- Appropriate in most contexts, informal to formal.
- Carries a sense of lateness and often urgency or drama.
Misunderstanding Warnings
- Learners might wonder about the specific time eleven. Explain it means the *last possible moment*, not literally 11:00.
- Differentiate it slightly from in the nick of time (emphasizes success) and down to the wire (emphasizes the very end of a process/competition). Eleventh hour emphasizes the lateness before a deadline or event.
Examples
- They reached an agreement at the eleventh hour, avoiding a strike.
- She submitted her application at the eleventh hour.
- He always finishes his projects at the eleventh hour.
Dialogue
Reporter A: Did the politicians manage to make a deal before the deadline?
Reporter B: Yes, they announced a compromise literally at the eleventh hour last night. Just minutes before midnight.
Reporter A: Phew, that avoids a government shutdown then. Talk about leaving it late!
Social Media Examples
- Tweet: Submitted my thesis at the eleventh hour! So relieved it's finally done. Time to sleep for a week. #phdlife #deadline #finished
- News Update: BREAKING: Deal reached at the eleventh hour between the union and the company. Strike averted. #labor #negotiations
- Post: Always leaving my packing until the eleventh hour... flight is tomorrow morning! 😬 #procrastination #travel
Response Patterns
- Wow, that was close!
- Cutting it fine, weren't they? (UK/Aus)
- Better late than never, I guess.
- That must have been stressful.
Common Follow-up Questions/Actions
After hearing something happened at the eleventh hour:
- Might ask why it was so late: What caused the delay?
- Might express relief that it was completed/resolved in time.
Conversation Starter
- No.
- Describes the timing of an event, usually the resolution of something with a deadline.
Intonation
- Often spoken with a sense of drama, urgency, relief, or sometimes frustration (if it caused stress).
- Stress often falls on eleventh hour.
- They managed to fix it at the eLEventh HOUR.
Generation Differences
- Widely understood across generations, even if the biblical origin isn't consciously known.
Regional Variations
- Common in all major English-speaking regions.