siren song
2
8.3
- noun
- /ˈsaɪrən sɔŋ/
:
canto de sirena
- Even for an intelligent woman, the siren song of quackery can be strong.
- resist the siren song
- the siren song lured
Examples
-
Even though we've committed ourselves to this particular work-in-progress, the siren song of that new idea can be irresistible.
Blog text (23) -
Kennan's formula for victory was economic aid fostering political stability in countries potentially vulnerable to communism's siren song.
Academic text (2010) -
Who could have predicted that danger would once again sing its siren song?
Fiction book (1997) -
I guess I fell for the siren song of political collective salvation.
Blog text (6) -
Well, that's part of the the dangerous siren song of marketing.
-
Instead, he couldn't resist the siren song of the basketball court.
Fiction book (1999) -
Will we be the party of conservatism, or will we follow the siren song of populism, unmoored to conservative principles?
-
Exit polls from the election suggest that voters have succumbed to the siren song of envy and really do want to make the so-called rich pay higher taxes.
Blog text (23) -
The siren song of inexpensive Zulu labor outweighed the well-understood danger.
Blog text (19) -
Even the most practical brides find it hard to resist the siren song of a big wedding.
Synonyms
40
3.2
A behavior that makes bad or dangerous things likely
29
4.3
A quality that tempts people by promising a reward
3
7.8
A tempting offer that may harm or trick you
How Tempting
Surface Forms
Morphology
siren + song
Knowing 'siren' (a mythical figure who lures sailors with a song) and 'song', a learner can directly infer that a 'siren song' is an attractive lure that leads to danger; the metaphorical extension is straightforward and predictable from the constituents. This construction is a transparent, culture-familiar image, so a B1 learner who knows the component words will very likely understand the MWE's meaning.
Etymology
The idiom siren song comes from a Greek myth. One popular story says dangerous sirens sang a beautiful song that made sailors' ships crash on the rocks, so the image is of something lovely that leads to harm. That's why siren song now means an attractive promise that is 'hard to resist' but can bring 'danger' or trouble.