kill the goose that lays the golden eggs

verb

To seek short-term gain at the sacrifice of long-term profit.

Similar
take the short view
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Meanings

verbkill the goose that lays the golden eggs (third-person singular simple present kills the goose that lays the golden eggs, present participle killing the goose that lays the golden eggs, simple past and past participle killed the goose that laid the golden eggs)

present singular third person kills the goose that lays the golden eggs · participle present killing the goose that lays the golden eggs · participle past killed the goose that laid the golden eggs · past killed the goose that laid the golden eggs

  1. idiomaticTo seek short-term gain at the sacrifice of long-term profit.

    Have the increases in ordinary fares begun to kill the goose that lays the golden eggs?

    1962 December, “Talking of Trains: Passenger traffic declining”, in Modern Railways, page 364

    Synonyms: take the short view

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo seek short-term gain at the sacrifice of long-term profit.

Similar
take the short view

Origin

From the Aesop's fable The Goose that Laid the Golden Eggs, in which a married couple own a goose that lays one golden egg every day. Because of greed, they decide to kill the goose to obtain all the gold they suppose to be present in its body. Once opened, the goose proves to be like any normal goose inside.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Chinese Mandarin 殺雞取卵 /杀鸡取卵, 竭澤而漁 /竭泽而渔
  • 殺雞取卵 /杀鸡取卵 (shājīqǔluǎn)to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose
  • 竭澤而漁 /竭泽而渔 (jiézé'éryú)to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose
Dutch de kip met de gouden eieren slachten
  • de kip met de gouden eieren slachtento seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose
Finnish tappaa kultamunia muniva kana
  • tappaa kultamunia muniva kanato seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose
French tuer la poule aux œufs d'or
  • tuer la poule aux œufs d'orto seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose
Italian uccidere la gallina dalle uova d'oro
  • uccidere la gallina dalle uova d'oroto seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose
Polish zabić kurę znoszącą złote jajka
  • zabić kurę znoszącą złote jajkato seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose
Russian заре́зать ку́рицу, несу́щую золоты́е я́йца
  • заре́зать ку́рицу, несу́щую золоты́е я́йца (zarézatʹ kúricu, nesúščuju zolotýje jájca)to seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose
Spanish matar a la gallina de los huevos de oro
  • matar a la gallina de los huevos de oroto seek short term gain at the sacrifice of long term profit — see also golden goose
Cite this entry
APA

kill the goose that lays the golden eggs. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kill%20the%20goose%20that%20lays%20the%20golden%20eggs

MLA

“kill the goose that lays the golden eggs.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kill%20the%20goose%20that%20lays%20the%20golden%20eggs. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “kill the goose that lays the golden eggs,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/kill%20the%20goose%20that%20lays%20the%20golden%20eggs.

Source: kill the goose that lays the golden eggs on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.