Definition

Noun: 1. (Greek mythology) A ship-devouring whirlpool: In Greek mythology, Charybdis is a monstrous, personified whirlpool located on one side of a narrow sea channel. It is famously paired with the monster Scylla on the opposite side, creating a perilous choice for sailors.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • Odysseus had to navigate between the monster Scylla and the whirlpool Charybdis.
  • The phrase "between Scylla and Charybdis" describes being caught between two equally dangerous alternatives.

Advanced Usage

• "Between Scylla and Charybdis": This is the primary modern usage of the word. It functions as an idiom meaning to be faced with two equally perilous or undesirable choices, where avoiding one means confronting the other.
  • The government was caught between Scylla and Charybdis: raising taxes or cutting essential services.

Variants and Related Words

• Scylla (n): The six-headed sea monster located opposite Charybdis in the Strait of Messina, forming the other half of the proverbial dilemma.

Synonyms

• Whirlpool
• Maelstrom (a powerful whirlpool, often used in a figurative sense similar to Charybdis)

Related Idioms

• "Between a rock and a hard place": A common English idiom with a nearly identical meaning to "between Scylla and Charybdis," denoting a dilemma with two bad options.
• "Out of the frying pan and into the fire": An idiom describing moving from a bad situation to one that is worse, which is related to the perilous choice posed by Scylla and Charybdis.

Noun

1. (Greek mythology) a ship-devouring whirlpool lying on the other side of a narrow strait from Scylla