more than one bargained for

noun

An unexpected and (usually) unwanted result of a decision or action.

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Meanings

nounmore than one bargained for (uncountable)
  1. idiomaticuncountableAn unexpected and (usually) unwanted result of a decision or action.

    This was more than he had bargained for, and he squeaked shrilly with the pain.

    1874, Ambrose Bierce, “Fables of Zambri, the Parsee”, in Cobwebs From an Empty Skull
    3 more examples

    The sound of guns grew louder. . . . [W]hat if the Germans were to break through and sweep over all calculations? This was a little more than Jimmie Higgins had bargained for when he entered the recruiting-office in Leesville, U.S.A.!

    1919, Upton Sinclair, chapter 22, in Jimmie Higgins

    [T]hey found much and more than they had bargained for. Nestled amid the weeds and debris near the bottom of the slope was a human skull.

    1987 July 27, Cristina Garcia, “Law: Casting A Net at Green River”, in TIME, archived from the original on 14 Mar 2025, retrieved 23 May 2015

    A bull elephant gave tourists in Thailand more than they bargained for on Sunday when it sat on and rubbed itself along their cars.

    2015 January 14, “Bull elephant gets too close for comfort in Thai park”, in The New York Times, archived from the original on 08 Jan 2021, retrieved 23 May 2015

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
surprise
Cite this entry
APA

more than one bargained for. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/more%20than%20one%20bargained%20for

MLA

“more than one bargained for.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/more%20than%20one%20bargained%20for. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “more than one bargained for,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/more%20than%20one%20bargained%20for.

Source: more than one bargained for on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.