English Explanatory Dictionary

on the horns of a dilemma

English dictionary entry

Meanings

prep_phrase
  1. Facing a choice between two equally undesirable alternatives.

Pronunciation

/ɒn‿ðə ˈhɔːnz‿əv‿ə daɪˈlɛmə/ /-dɪˈlɛmə/ /ɑn‿ðə ˈhɔɹnz‿əv‿ə daɪˈlɛmə/ En-au-on the horns of a dilemma.ogg

Word forms

on the horns of a dilemma

Etymology

From horn (“alternative in an argument”), from Latin argūmentum cornūtum (“argument with alternatives”, literally “horned argument”), a reference to an alternative that one can metaphorically get caught on or injured by.

Synonyms

between a rock and a hard place between Scylla and Charybdis damned if one does and damned if one doesn't between the devil and the deep blue sea between the hammer and the anvil between two fires doomed if you do doomed if you don't in a cleft stick in bad bread on the horns of a dilemma
This entry uses open data from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA/GFDL). Word forms are used for search and are not indexed as separate pages.
Back to search All on O Russian dictionary Dahl dictionary