Dictionary

take the bull by the horns en · VERB

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. To deal with a matter in a direct manner, especially to confront a difficulty rather than avoid it.
   • Wordsworth has a system which disposes him to take the bull by the horns and offend public taste. 1828 May, Sir Walter Scott, The Journal of Sir Walter Scott:
   • "Should I tell her? Should I send someone else?" he said yesterday. "I took the bull by the horns. I gave her the diagnosis. It was the most difficult time of my life." 2002 May 16, Selena Roberts, “Tennis: Healthy Morariu Expects to Return to Court”, in New York Times, retrieved 02 Aug 2011:
   • "Then why couldn' ye take the bull by the horns an' march in by the front door?" 1912, Arthur Quiller-Couch, chapter 4, in Hocken and Hunken:
   • [H]e was ready to take the bull by the horns and pay for his meal himself. 1920, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 4, in The Coming of Bill:
   • In Korea General MacArthur took the bull by the horns and threw seven divisions into an all-out drive to clear North Korea. 1950 December 4, “The Nation: Between Friends”, in Time:

Forms

Relateds

seize the day · bit between one's teeth · grab life by the throat · grasp the nettle · grab life by the balls · get down to brass tacks · beard the lion in his den · grab life by the horns

Synonyms

grab the bull by the horns

Translations (24)

nl de koe bij de hoorns vatten (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · sv ta tjuren vid hornen (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · fr prendre le taureau par les cornes (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · cs jít na to rovnou (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · cmn 打蛇打七寸 (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · af die bul by die horings pak (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · eo preni la bovon per la kornoj (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · nn ta tyren ved horna (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · mi kua eke te waka ki te au moana (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · pt encarar de frente (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · it prendere il toro per le corna (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · nb ta tyren ved hornene (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · de den Stier an den Hörnen fassen (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · eo rekte alfronti problemon (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · pl złapać byka za rogi (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · cs popadnout býka rovnou za rohy (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · pl łapać byka za rogi (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · es coger el toro por los cuernos (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · da tage tyren ved hornene (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · pt pegar o touro pelos chifres (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · ru взять быка за рога́ (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · fi ottaa härkää sarvista (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · de den Stier bei den Hörnen packen (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty) · pt pegar o touro pelos cornos (to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty)