the writing on the wall

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

Post

Figurative meaning

clear and unmistakable signs that failure or disaster is coming

Why this phrase?

From the Bible (Daniel 5): handwriting appears on the wall of Belshazzar's feast, foretelling his fall.

Example

“The attrition numbers were the writing on the wall for the old stack.”

Dictionary details

Component words

writing wall

Tags

Expressions connected by reviewed component words or topic tags.

back against the wall Informal · CEFR B1

in a desperate situation with few options left

drive someone up the wall Informal · CEFR B1

to make someone feel extremely annoyed or frustrated

throw it at the wall and see what sticks Informal · CEFR B2

to try many ideas quickly, keeping only the ones that work

go to the wall Neutral · CEFR C1

collapse or fail completely, particularly as a business or financial venture

bad news Informal · CEFR A2

an unpleasant piece of information; (informal) a person or thing likely to cause trouble

red flag Neutral · CEFR B1

a warning sign that something is wrong

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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