English idiom

monkey's paw

Register · Neutral CEFR C1

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Figurative meaning

something that grants what you asked for while exacting a terrible, unforeseen price; a wish fulfilled in the worst possible way

Why this phrase?

the severed paw of a monkey, the cursed talisman in W. W. Jacobs's 1902 horror story that grants three wishes

Example

“The bailout was a monkey's paw: the bank survived, but the terms gutted the company for a decade.”

Dictionary details

Component words

monkey paw

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

behind bars

in prison

face the music

To accept the unpleasant consequences of your actions.

pot calling the kettle black

criticizing someone for a fault you share

blind leading the blind

people with no experience guiding others who have no experience

Pandora's box

an action or situation that unleashes many unexpected and hard-to-control problems

Source methodology

Meanings, register, CEFR, and examples come from the reviewed dictionary record. Expression notes may describe a reviewed present-day word picture or a background note; they are not presented as verified etymology.

External links

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