Meanings
- idiomaticBetween two dangers or undesired situations.
"I can't try," said poor Ralph; "I can't move further. I can't face that journey. Fancy me between Scylla and Charybdis! I don't want to die on the Sicilian plains—to be snatched away, like Proserpine in the same locality, to the Plutonian shades."
1908, Henry James, The Portrait of a Lady (The Novels and Tales of Henry James), New York edition, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Boston, Mass.; New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC; republished as The Portrait of a Lady (EBook #283), United States: Project Gutenberg, 1 September 20011 more example
Grateful also to those who are in fear for me, lest I should either excite hatred, or disguise the truth, I will, by the help of Christ, make such a return for their kindness, as neither to become odious, nor a falsifier. For I will describe, both what has been done well, or otherwise, in such wise, and so safely steer between Scylla and Charybdis, that my opinions shall not be concealed, though some matters may be omitted in my history.
1847, William of Malmesbury, translated by John Sharpe, edited by John Allen Giles, Chronicle of the Kings of England, Book 4/PrefaceSynonyms: between a rock and a hard place, between the hammer and the anvil, between the devil and the deep blue sea, between a rock and a hard place, between the devil and the deep blue sea, between the hammer and the anvil, between two fires, damned if one does and damned if one doesn't
Synonyms & antonyms
prepositional phraseBetween two dangers or undesired situations.
Origin
From Homer's Odyssey, where Odysseus and his men had to sail between these two locations (respectively, a rock personified as a monster, and a large whirlpool) en route returning to Ithaca from Troy.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Chinese Mandarin 進退維谷 /进退维谷
- 進退維谷 /进退维谷 (jìntuìwéigǔ)idiomatic
Danish mellem Skylla og Karybdis
- mellem Skylla og Karybdisidiomatic
Esperanto fali de sitelo en barelon
- fali de sitelo en barelonidiomatic
Finnish Skyllan ja Kharybdiksen välillä
- Skyllan ja Kharybdiksen välilläidiomatic
French de Charybde en Scylla
- de Charybde en Scyllaidiomatic
German vom Regen in die Traufe, vom Regen in die Traufe kommen
- vom Regen in die Traufeidiomatic
- vom Regen in die Traufe kommenidiomatic
- vom Regen in die Traufe geratenidiomatic
- zwischen Skylla und Charybdis seinidiomatic
Greek μεταξύ Σκύλλας και Χάρυβδης
- μεταξύ Σκύλλας και Χάρυβδης (metaxý Skýllas kai Cháryvdis)idiomatic
Irish amach as na muineacha is isteach sna driseacha
- amach as na muineacha is isteach sna driseachaidiomatic
Italian tra l'incudine e il martello, tra Scilla e Cariddi
- tra l'incudine e il martelloidiomatic
- tra Scilla e Cariddiidiomatic
Japanese 前門の虎、後門の狼
- 前門の虎、後門の狼 (zenmon no tora, kōmon no ōkami)idiomatic
Polish między Scyllą a Charybdą, między młotem a kowadłem
- między Scyllą a Charybdąidiomatic
- między młotem a kowadłemidiomatic
Russian ме́жду Сци́ллой и Хари́бдой
- ме́жду Сци́ллой и Хари́бдой (méždu Scílloj i Xaríbdoj)idiomatic
Spanish entre la espada y la pared, entre Escila y Caribdis
- entre la espada y la paredidiomatic
- entre Escila y Caribdisidiomatic
- entre dos fuegosidiomatic
Swedish mellan Skylla och Karybdis
- mellan Skylla och Karybdisidiomatic
Ukrainian між Скі́ллою і Харі́бдою
- між Скі́ллою і Харі́бдою (miž Skílloju i Xaríbdoju)idiomatic
Cite this entry
between Scylla and Charybdis. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/between%20Scylla%20and%20Charybdis
“between Scylla and Charybdis.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/between%20Scylla%20and%20Charybdis. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “between Scylla and Charybdis,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/between%20Scylla%20and%20Charybdis.
Source: between Scylla and Charybdis on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.