his days are numbered
Preserved but no longer current.
Meaning · English
They are drawing to a close; he is near death. God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. — Dan. v, 26.
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “his days are numbered” mean?
They are drawing to a close; he is near death. God hath numbered thy kingdom, and finished it. — Dan. v, 26.
Is “his days are numbered” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.