English idiom

out of the frying pan into the fire

Register · Neutral CEFR C1

Post

Figurative meaning

To escape one bad situation only to land in a worse one.

Why this phrase?

Jumping from hot oil straight into open flames.

Example

“She left the noisy flat for one with worse neighbours, out of the frying pan into the fire.”

Dictionary details

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

easier said than done

Something that sounds simple to do but is actually hard.

get out of hand

To become impossible to control.

hang in there

to persevere and not give up despite difficulty

in a tight spot

in a difficult or dangerous situation

in hot water

In trouble or facing difficulty.

in the same boat

in the same difficult situation as other people

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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