Dictionary

cut off one's nose to spite one's face en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic) To harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary.
   • The public disgrace of his arrival - which I sometimes wonder he could manage to survive - rankled in his bones; he was in that humour when a man - in the words of the old adage - will cut off his nose to spite his face; and he must make himself a public spectacle in the hopes that some of the disgrace might spatter on my lord. 1889, Robert Louis Stevenson, The Master of Ballantrae:

Forms

Relateds

dig one's own grave · hoist by one's own petard · sow dragon's teeth · shoot oneself in the foot

Translations (29)

pl na złość mamie odmrażać sobie uszy (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · tk bite gahar edip ýorganyňy otlamak (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · vi gậy ông đập lưng ông (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · cmn 殺敵一千，自損八百 /杀敌一千 (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · ar مَنْ حَفَرَ حُفْرَةً لِأَخِيهِ وَقَعَ فِيهَا (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · pl na złość mamie odmrozić sobie uszy (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · uz burgaga achchiq qilib ko'rpa yoqish (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · ru вы́колю себе́ глаз, пусть у тёщи зять криво́й бу́дет (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · pl na złość mamusi odmrażać sobie uszy (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · it spararsi sui piedi (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · cmn 損人不利己 /损人不利己 (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · ru назло́ ма́ме отморо́жу у́ши (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · pl na złość mamusi odmrozić sobie uszy (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · de sich ins eigene Fleisch schneiden (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · pl na złość babci odmrażać sobie uszy (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · tr pireye kızıp yorgan yakmak (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · fr se tirer une balle dans le pied (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · es tirar piedras contra el propio tejado (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · es tirar piedras al propio tejado (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · pl na złość babci odmrozić sobie uszy (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · cmn 自损八百 (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · es tirar piedras sobre el propio tejado (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · nl wie zijn neus schendt schendt zijn aangezicht (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · fi sattua omaan nilkkaan (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · cmn 自损八百 (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · it darsi la zappa sui piedi (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · ro își da singur în cap (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · ro își fura singur căciula (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary) · cmn 傷敵一千，自損八百 /伤敌一千 (to harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary)