Sword Of Damocles

Pronunciation: /sɔrd ʌv dəˈmɒkliːz/

Definitions of sword of Damocles

noun a weapon with a long metal blade and a hilt with a handguard, used for thrusting or striking

Example Sentences

A1 The sword of Damocles was hanging over his head, causing him great anxiety.

A2 She felt like the sword of Damocles was constantly looming over her, ready to fall at any moment.

B1 The threat of losing his job was like a sword of Damocles, always present in his thoughts.

B2 The impending deadline felt like a sword of Damocles, urging him to work harder and faster.

C1 The political scandal was the sword of Damocles hanging over the entire administration.

C2 The impending economic crisis was the sword of Damocles that kept investors on edge.

preposition a word governing, and usually preceding, a noun or pronoun and expressing a relation to another word or element in the clause

Example Sentences

A1 The sword of Damocles hung over his head, causing him great anxiety.

A2 She felt like the sword of Damocles was constantly looming over her, making her nervous.

B1 The impending deadline felt like a sword of Damocles, pressuring the team to work faster.

B2 The threat of losing their jobs was like a sword of Damocles hanging over the employees.

C1 The political unrest in the region was a constant sword of Damocles for the citizens, causing fear and uncertainty.

C2 The looming threat of climate change is the modern-day sword of Damocles, reminding us of the urgent need for action.

Examples of sword of Damocles in a Sentence

formal The sword of Damocles is often used as a metaphor for impending danger or doom.

informal I feel like the sword of Damocles is hanging over my head with all these deadlines.

slang I swear my boss is like the sword of Damocles, always ready to drop some new task on me.

figurative The threat of losing my job feels like the sword of Damocles, constantly looming over me.

Grammatical Forms of sword of Damocles

• past tense: swords of Damocles
• plural: swords of Damocles
• comparative: more dangerous than the sword of Damocles
• superlative: most dangerous of all the swords of Damocles
• present tense: is the sword of Damocles
• future tense: will be the sword of Damocles
• perfect tense: has been the sword of Damocles
• continuous tense: is always the sword of Damocles
• singular: sword of Damocles
• positive degree: sword of Damocles
• infinitive: to be the sword of Damocles
• gerund: being the sword of Damocles
• participle: the sword of Damocles hanging over

Origin and Evolution of sword of Damocles

First Known Use: 1250 year

Language of Origin: Latin

Story behind the word: The phrase 'sword of Damocles' originates from a moral anecdote by the Roman philosopher Cicero, who recounted the story of Damocles in his work 'Tusculanae Disputationes'.

Evolution of the word: Over time, the phrase 'sword of Damocles' has come to symbolize a looming threat or danger that could strike at any moment, reflecting the original story of Damocles and the sword hanging over his head.