Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
to cut off your nose to spite your face
idiom
/tuː kʌt ɔf jʊər noʊz tuː spaɪt jʊər feɪs/
Definition
To harm yourself in an attempt to harm someone else or to make a point.
Examples
- He decided to quit his job in protest, but he was really just cutting off his nose to spite his face.
- By refusing to speak to her friend, she was cutting off her nose to spite her face instead of resolving the issue.
Meaning
This phrase means that someone takes an action that is self-destructive, often in a misguided effort to get back at someone else, which ultimately causes more harm to themselves than to the intended target.
Synonyms
- Self-sabotage
- Harming oneself
- Making a fool of oneself
