Meaning of between a rock and a hard place | Babel Free
Definitions
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In a difficult and inescapable position. idiomatic
-
Having the choice between two unpleasant or distasteful options; in a predicament or quandary. idiomatic
Equivalents
Ελληνικά
μπρος γκρεμός και πίσω ρέμα
हिन्दी
आगे कुआँ पीछे खाई
Nederlands
(kiezen) tussen pest en cholera
Polski
między młotem a kowadłem
Svenska
i valet och kvalet
Türkçe
iki arada bir derede
Tiếng Việt
tiến thoái lưỡng nan
Examples
“After meeting again that afternoon with Donna, Wilbur had advised her that she was indeed between a rock and a hard place. She could not hope to recover and build back the lost business until the suits were settled, and it appeared that the only way to settle the suits without going to court was to liquidate the mortuary assets or tap into the Clifton's personal funds.”
“A dish gone awry after adding the wrong ingredient. Chewing your way through this won't be fun, but it will fill you up when you're between a rock and a hard place.”
“Husbands, it seems to me, are caught between the Rock of Feminism and the Hard Place of their own marriages […]”
“If Washington Mutual needs to raise capital quickly, it will very likely find itself between a rock and a hard place, because credit markets have all but closed their doors to troubled banks.”
CEFR level
C2
Mastery
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.
This word is part of the CEFR C2 vocabulary — mastery level.