Nuance Dictionary / Social Situations
눈에 불을 켜다 Nun-e bul-eul kyeoda
To be hyper-focused and ruthlessly determined to achieve a high-stakes goal.
What does 눈에 불을 켜다 mean?
눈에 불을 켜다 (Nun-e bul-eul kyeoda) means: To be hyper-focused and ruthlessly determined to achieve a high-stakes goal.
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How it's actually used
- 요즘 취업 시장이 너무 좁아서 다들 눈에 불을 켜고 자소서 써.
Yo-jeum chwi-eop si-jang-i neo-mu jop-a-seo da-deul nun-e bul-eul kyeo-go ja-so-seo sseo.
The job market is so tight these days that everyone is writing their cover letters with fire in their eyes.
💡 Highlights the collective, desperate energy of job seekers. - 이번 승진 기회 놓치면 안 돼서 눈에 불을 켜고 일하고 있어.
I-beon seung-jin gi-hoe not-chi-myeon an dwae-seo nun-e bul-eul kyeo-go il-ha-go iss-eo.
I can't miss this promotion opportunity, so I'm working with absolute, burning intensity.
💡 Shows how the phrase justifies a temporary state of extreme workaholic behavior. - 우리 팀장님, 이번 프로젝트 성과에 눈에 불을 켰더라.
U-ri tim-jang-nim, i-beon peu-ro-jek-teu seong-gwa-e nun-e bul-eul kyeot-deo-ra.
Our team lead has eyes like fire regarding the results of this project.
💡 Demonstrates the slightly wary observation of a superior's aggressive ambition.
Related words in Social Situations
눈에 익다 Nun-e ikda눈에 띄다 Nun-e tti-da눈이 높다 nun-i nopda눈독을 들이다 Nundog-eul deurida폭풍 pok-pung