Damocles

[ dam-uh-kleez ]

noun

1. a flatterer who, having extolled the happiness of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, was seated at a banquet with a sword suspended over his head by a single hair to show him the perilous nature of that happiness.

Damocles

/ ˈdæməˌkliːz /

noun

1. classical myth a sycophant forced by Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, to sit under a sword suspended by a hair to demonstrate that being a king was not the happy state Damocles had said it was See also Sword of Damocles

Derived Forms

• ˌDamoˈclean, adjective

Other Words From

• Dam·o·cle·an [dam-, uh, -, klee, -, uh, n], adjective

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. sword of Damocles, any situation threatening imminent harm or disaster.

Example Sentences

The sword of Damocles hasn't deterred Gaetz's allies from hyping him up for a return to Congress as a House member, as a senato or for a Trump administration post that doesn't require Senate approval.

From Salon

By that point, the TV veteran had been unemployed for more than six months, and his children’s private school tuitions were looming over him like the sword of Damocles.

From Los Angeles Times

They add, “the board should recognize the influence of the sword of Damocles hanging over shareholder heads: the outcome of any stockholder vote could well be seriously distorted by Musk’s looming threat.”

From Los Angeles Times

He said Mr Sunak was "so diminished" that his "entire focus is on stopping his MPs holding the sword of Damocles above his head, perhaps even literally".

From BBC

Mr. Thierer said implicit threats of regulation represent a “sword of Damocles” approach to tech regulation, an approach previously used as the dominant form of indirect regulation in other tech sectors, including telecommunications.

From Washington Times