under a cloud

Idioms and Phrases

Under suspicion, in trouble, or out of favor, as in Ever since his brother was accused of fraud, he's been under a cloud . This metaphoric expression calls up the image of a single black cloud hanging over an individual. [c. 1500]

Example Sentences

Senior lawyer Kamini Jaiswal says Justice Chandrachud’s appointment had come at “a crucial juncture as some of the last chief justices had left under a cloud of dark spots and the position had been denigrated with serious allegations”.

From BBC

Yes, he left once, under a cloud.

From BBC

Speaking to the BBC in 2013, he left school "under a cloud destined to do not much at all", having struggled with dyslexia - going on to work in a number of jobs before joining the police.

From BBC

Claims about bullying, misogyny, and pay had come from people who had left under a cloud, he said.

From BBC

In 2014, he was elected Los Angeles County sheriff, following soon after Lee Baca, the longtime sheriff who retired under a cloud of scandals that included the federal indictment of sheriff’s officials for allegations ranging from assaulting jail inmates to hiding a jailhouse informant from the FBI.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• dusky
• leafy
• screened
• sheltered