keep the wolf from the door
Meaning
To avoid hunger or severe financial hardship; to have just enough money to survive.
Origin
The “wolf” is a long-standing symbol of hunger and danger in European folklore. The phrase (recorded from at least the 18th century) likens poverty/starvation to a wolf waiting at the door, kept away only by earning enough to get by.
Notes
Implies scraping by—enough to avoid serious hardship, not comfort. Slightly literary/old-fashioned but still understood in speech and writing.
Examples
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After he lost his job, he took gig work to keep the wolf from the door until he found something stable.
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The charity’s emergency grant helped keep the wolf from the door for a few months.
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I’m not saving much right now, but I’m earning enough to keep the wolf from the door.
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They rented out the spare room to keep the wolf from the door during the slow season.
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Even small donations can keep the wolf from the door for families struggling with rent and groceries.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed pattern: keep the wolf from the door. The article “the” is typically kept. Often used with can/could/have to: “work to keep the wolf from the door.” Tense can change (kept/keeping).
Synonyms
- make ends meet
- get by
- scrape by
- keep afloat
Antonyms
- live in comfort
- be well-off
- prosper
- live high on the hog