Meaning of writing on the wall | Babel Free

Definitions

An ominous warning; a prediction of bad luck.

countable, idiomatic, uncountable

Equivalents

Examples

“He could see the writing on the wall months before the business failed.”

“However, regardless of evil portents, prophetic despair and a great deal too much writing on the wall, I have managed so far to write two fairly cheerful musical comedies.”

“The Portuguese refused to read the writings on the wall and clung to their colonies, including the one in India.”

“Without a doubt these trends represent the "next big thing". Consider a sampling of recent headlines as writings on the wall: […]”

“Don't you see the implications and writings on the wall for our family's future?”

“It gets to the point to where you see so much writing on the wall where we may not have a choice but to step in and say 'yes, you will train every year and you'll report that training to POST' in order for things to be done right.”

“As a railwayman put it to me: "When I saw chums of mine took their families down there by car, I could see the writing on the wall. We all had free passes, yet they got the car out!"”

CEFR level