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was on the verge of
[wəz ɑn ðə vɜrdʒ əv]
verb phrase
estava à beira de
1.
was very close to doing something or experiencing something; was about to happen
She was on the verge of tears when she heard the news.
Ela estava à beira das lágrimas quando ouviu a notícia.
2.
was at the edge or brink of a particular state or condition
The company was on the verge of bankruptcy.
A empresa estava à beira da falência.
Synonyms
was about to
was on the brink of
was close to
was nearly
was almost
Antonyms
was far from
was nowhere near
Regional Variations
General Brazilian
estava à beira de
standard usage
São Paulo
estava à beira de / estava quase
both forms commonly used
Rio de Janeiro
estava na iminência de
more formal alternative
Portugal
estava à beira de / estava prestes a
prestes a is also common in Portugal
Related Idioms & Phrases
on the edge of
at the brink of
on the precipice of
about to
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