MEANING
In a situation where every available choice brings a serious difficulty or disadvantage.
Use it for
choosing between two bad options; being trapped by competing demands; facing an unavoidable trade-off; having no comfortable way outExpresses being trapped between alternatives that both have serious disadvantages. Writing functions: Difficult choices. Semantic categories (by meaning): Difficult choices; Conflicting demands. Contexts: General conversation; Creative prose.
Words that belong together
- be between a rock and a hard place
- be caught between a rock and a hard place
On the page
The council was between a rock and a hard place: raise taxes or close the library.
With rent due and overtime compulsory, she found herself between a rock and a hard place.
Word forms
- Base
- between a rock and a hard place
Usage notes
Predicative phrase, usually after be, find yourself, or be caught. Do not pluralize the whole expression. Register: neutral. Commonness: moderately common (qualitative editorial estimate, informed by dictionaries/corpus).
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
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