sword of Damocles

Speech parts

1. sword of Damocles - Noun

2. sword of Damocles - Phrase

Meaning

sword of Damocles (plural swords of Damocles)

A thing or situation which causes a prolonged state of impending doom or misfortune.

Source: en.wiktionary.org

Hypernyms

risk hazard peril jeopardy endangerment

Examples

The world may end up under a Sword of Damocles on a tightrope over the abyss. Andrei Gromyko

This result [... ] will daily stand as a veritable sword of Damocles over every succeeding president and his advisers. William Rehnquist

Living with AIDS is like always having the sword of Damocles over your head. The disease is scarier than death itself. The disease is so messy, so devastating, so pervasive. It robs you of everything you hold dear. Larry Kramer

Fate... hangs over our heads like the sword of Damocles and inexorably distills a slow and deadly venom. One must bend to it and abandon oneself to boundless despair... Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

HIs words made Claire remember the sword of Damocles still hanging over their heads, menacing to fall any minute, and she sat up slowly. Source: Internet

In our gut we think the escalation is another false positive, but as cybersecurity professionals; we wait for the sword of Damocles to fall. Source: Internet

Words in the phrase

sword of Damocles

Close letter words and terms

sword knot sword lily sword mat sword of state sword stick sword swallower