The idiom "at the eleventh hour" means doing something at the last minute or just before it's too late. It refers to a situation where someone waits until the very last moment to do something that should have been done earlier.
For example, if a student has a project due the next day but they haven't started working on it until the night before, they are doing it at the eleventh hour. Similarly, if someone waits until the last minute to pay their bills, they are doing it at the eleventh hour.
The origin of this idiom comes from the Bible, where Jesus tells a parable about workers who were hired to work in a vineyard. Some of the workers were hired early in the morning, while others were hired at the eleventh hour, just before the workday ended. In the parable, all the workers were paid the same amount, regardless of when they started working.
In everyday conversation, we use this idiom to describe situations where someone is procrastinating or delaying something until the very last moment. It's a warning that time is running out and action needs to be taken quickly.
• I finished my homework at the eleventh hour.
• The politician made a last-minute announcement at the eleventh hour, which changed the course of the election.
• The company managed to sign a deal at the eleventh hour.
• The negotiators reached a compromise at the eleventh hour, just before the deadline expired.
• The rescue team arrived at the eleventh hour and managed to save the trapped hikers.
• The team managed to score a goal at the eleventh hour of the game.