at death's door

• at Death's door

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at death's door

1. (idiomatic) About to die; in a life-threatening state of health.

   Synonyms: knocking on heaven's door, on one's deathbed

   • 1828 May 15, [Walter Scott], chapter IX, in Chronicles of the Canongate. Second Series. […] (The Fair Maid of Perth), volume III, Edinburgh: […] [Ballantyne and Co.] for Cadell and Co.; London: Simpkin and Marshall, →OCLC, page 235:

     The minstrel woman who left the Castle yesterday has spread the report everywhere, that the Duke of Rothsay is murdered, or at death's door.

   • 1913 August, Jack London, chapter XXXII, in John Barleycorn, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., →OCLC, page 290:

     One of my Polynesian sailors lay at death's door with blackwater fever.

   • 2008 June 29, Josh Quittner, “Bill Gates: PC Genius, Internet Fool”, in Time:

     Clearly, a business with $26 billion in cash reserves isn't exactly at death's door.

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