on the horns of a dilemma
1
8.2
- idiom
:
en un dilema
- During the meeting, the board members were on the horns of a dilemma regarding whether to approve the controversial project or cancel it.
- caught on the horns of a dilemma
Examples
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Anthropologists who try to treat the sick when doing fieldwork are caught on the horns of a dilemma: to what extent are we ethically obliged to provide the wisdom and the materia medica of Western medicine when doing fieldwork?
Academic text (1996) -
The manager found himself on the horns of a dilemma when he had to choose between laying off employees or cutting salaries.
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This leaves us on the horns of a dilemma.
Academic text (1994) -
The Obama administration is caught on the horns of a dilemma.
Academic text (2010) -
We're on the horns of a dilemma here, Mr. Warshaw.
-
Nozick, then, appears caught on the horns of a dilemma.
Academic text (1990) -
NATO appeared caught on the horns of a dilemma that could paralyze it.
Academic text (1998) -
Mr. Harris: Well, I do think that the city is a bit on the horns of a dilemma because it wants to have it both ways.
Blog text (14) -
Students could be caught on the horns of a dilemma as they try to meet the high expectations of others and blend in with their peers.
Academic text (1992) -
On the other hand, the Aylwin government—bound by the moral commitments of its program—found itself on the horns of a dilemma: how could it resolve the human rights issue and still maintain political equilibrium?
Academic text (1991)
Synonyms
258
4.2
A situation where you must choose between two or more bad options
9
6.7
A difficult situation where you have no good choice
1
9.0
You must choose between two options that are both bad
To have to choose between two equally bad options while people on both sides pressure you
You must choose between two dangerous options
A hard situation where no choice seems good
Antonyms
How Difficult
Surface Forms
Morphology
on + the + horns + of + a + dilemma
The presence of the noun 'dilemma' makes the general idea of a difficult choice accessible to a learner who knows the constituents, but the metaphor 'on the horns' (being caught between two dangerous points) is not a literal or fully predictable combination of the words. The idiomatic horn-image adds a specific nuance (two equally undesirable alternatives) that is culturally variable and requires prior exposure, so the expression is only partially transparent.
Etymology
The idiom on the horns of a dilemma comes from the image of a person caught between a bull's two sharp horns, where any move would cause pain. That's why it means 'having to choose between two bad options'.