slippery slope

Register · Neutral Neutral — appropriate in most situations, both spoken and written, without sounding too casual or too stiff. CEFR B1

Post

Figurative meaning

a course of action that seems small or harmless but leads, step by step, to a serious or disastrous result

Why this phrase?

The image of a slope you cannot stop on once you start sliding.

Example

“Shaving the test suite is a slippery slope toward shipping broken code.”

Dictionary details

Component words

slippery slope

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

make or break Neutral · CEFR B2

to be the single decisive factor between success and failure

throw caution to the wind Neutral · CEFR B2

to act boldly or recklessly without considering the possible consequences

beg the question Neutral · CEFR C1

to make one naturally want to ask a particular question; (formally) to assume the very point being argued

err on the side of Formal · CEFR C1

choose the safer course when uncertainty makes either option imperfect

moot point Neutral · CEFR C1

a question that is debatable or no longer relevant because it has been settled or made irrelevant

pay the piper Neutral · CEFR C1

to deal with the price or consequences created by your earlier choices

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.

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