line of least resistance
- noun
- Informal
:
línea de menor resistencia
- She always chooses the line of least resistance when faced with tough decisions to avoid conflict.
Examples
-
Instead of addressing the issue directly, he opted for the line of least resistance, hoping it would resolve itself.
-
Thus far in his life, Franz has taken the line of least resistance.
Academic text (2000) -
They'd follow the line of least resistance.
-
In a group project, the team decided to take the line of least resistance and follow the simplest solution.
Synonyms
7
3.9
The easiest choice that avoids difficulty or conflict
4
4.2
A way of doing something that tries to avoid effort or a fight
Antonyms
How Easy
- Informal
Surface Forms
Morphology
line + of + least + resistance
The phrase literally reads as 'a line where resistance is smallest', so a learner who knows 'line', 'least' and 'resistance' can plausibly infer it means the path or course that meets the least opposition — i.e. the easiest option. However, this is a metaphorical extension from a physical scenario to choices/behaviour; although the logic is common across languages and provides strong clues, the mapping is not purely compositional and may require some exposure.
Etymology
Line of least resistance may come from watching water find the easiest way through rocks. The water follows the place with the least resistance, a clear line of easy flow, so the phrase now means choosing the easiest option or 'avoiding difficulty or confrontation'.