危機一髪(ききいっぱつ)

ききいっぱつ
noun, four-character idiom
close call; narrow escape; by a hair's breadth
1. close call; narrow escape; critical moment
A dangerous situation where disaster was barely avoided.
危機一髪(ききいっぱつ)のところで事故(じこ)を免(まぬか)れた。
We narrowly escaped the accident.
電車(でんしゃ)に危機一髪(ききいっぱつ)で間(ま)に合(あ)った。
I made the train by a hair's breadth.
危機一髪(ききいっぱつ)で落下物(らっかぶつ)を避(よ)けた。
I dodged the falling object just in time.

STRUCTURE (YOJIJUKUGO):
危機(きき) (crisis) + 一髪(いっぱつ) (one hair)
Literal: "crisis of one hair" - the margin was as thin as a single hair

COLLOCATIONS:

  • 危機一髪(ききいっぱつ)のところで (just barely, at the last moment)
  • 危機一髪(ききいっぱつ)で助(たす)かる (be saved by a hair)
  • 危機一髪(ききいっぱつ)で逃(のが)れる (escape by a hair)

TRIVIA:
The phrase emphasizes how close the danger was - separated by the width of a single hair.

SIMILAR:

  • 間一髪(かんいっぱつ) - similar meaning
  • 九死一生(きゅうしいっしょう) - narrow escape from death

Related Words

Related: 一触即発(いっしょくそくはつ) (explosive situation)
general
Added 2026.1.18 21:03 · Revised 2026.1.24 23:24
06500/06949_kikiippatsu