sword of damocles

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Thân thiện
Definition

Noun: - A constant and imminent peril or threat: A situation of impending danger or doom that is always present and could strike at any moment. This term originates from a Greek legend about a sword suspended by a single hair above Damocles, symbolizing the ever-present dangers faced by those in positions of power.

Usage

The phrase is used to describe a sense of looming danger or a threat that feels both constant and immediate. It emphasizes vulnerability and the anxiety of waiting for something bad to happen. - It is typically used with the definite article "the" (e.g., the sword of Damocles). - It often follows prepositions like like, of, or over (e.g., hangs like the sword of Damocles, a sword of Damocles over).

Examples
  • The threat of layoffs hung over the office like the sword of Damocles.
  • Living with that diagnosis is a sword of Damocles; you never know when things might change for the worse.
  • The debt created a sword of Damocles over the future of the company.
Advanced Usage
  • "To hang like the sword of Damocles": This is the most common construction, describing a threat that is constantly looming.
    • The fear of exposure hung over him like the sword of Damocles.
  • Used metaphorically to describe psychological pressure or an abstract threat, not just physical danger.
    • The deadline was a sword of Damocles, driving her to work day and night.
Variants and Related Words
  • Damoclean (adjective): Pertaining to or resembling the sword of Damocles; describing a situation of imminent peril.
    • They lived under a Damoclean threat of financial ruin.
Synonyms
  • Impending doom: A disaster or misfortune that is about to happen.
  • Looming threat: A danger that appears large and is approaching.
  • Constant jeopardy: A state of continuous risk or danger.
Related Idioms
  • Hanging by a thread: In a very precarious or dangerous situation. This idiom shares the imagery of vulnerability from the same legend.
    • After the scandal, his career was hanging by a thread.
  • Living on borrowed time: Surviving or continuing longer than expected, especially in a dangerous situation.
    • With the volcano active, the villagers felt they were living on borrowed time.
Noun
  1. a constant and imminent peril
    • the possibility hangs over their heads like the sword of Damocles

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