cutting off one's nose to spite one's face

A form of cut off one's nose to spite one's face — To harm oneself as a result of attempting to harm an adversary.

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Meanings

verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of cut off one's nose to spite one's face

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
self-defeating
Cite this entry
APA

cutting off one's nose to spite one's face. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cutting%20off%20one's%20nose%20to%20spite%20one's%20face

MLA

“cutting off one's nose to spite one's face.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cutting%20off%20one's%20nose%20to%20spite%20one's%20face. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “cutting off one's nose to spite one's face,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/cutting%20off%20one's%20nose%20to%20spite%20one's%20face.

Source: cutting off one's nose to spite one's face on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.