out of the frying pan, into the fire

prepositional phrase

Transitioning from an unfavorable situation to an even more adverse one; finding oneself in a more difficult or detrimental position as a result of attempting to escape an already problematic circumstance.

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Meanings

prepositional phrase

alternative out of the frying pan into the fire · alternative out of the frying pan and into the fire

  1. idiomaticTransitioning from an unfavorable situation to an even more adverse one; finding oneself in a more difficult or detrimental position as a result of attempting to escape an already problematic circumstance.

Translations

Arabic اِسْتَجَارَ مِنَ الرَّمْضَاءَ بِالنَّارِ
  • اِسْتَجَارَ مِنَ الرَّمْضَاءَ بِالنَّارِ (istajāra mina r-ramḍāʔa bi-n-nāri)get from an already bad situation to a worse one
Chinese Mandarin 每況愈下 /每况愈下, 才出虎口，又入狼窩 /才出虎口
  • 每況愈下 /每况愈下 (měikuàngyùxià)get from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • 才出虎口，又入狼窩 /才出虎口get from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • 又入狼窝 (Cái chū hǔkǒu, yòu rù láng wō)get from an already bad situation to a worse one
Czech z louže pod okap, z deště pod okap
  • z louže pod okapget from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • z deště pod okapget from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • z bláta do loužeget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Danish fra asken i ilden
  • fra asken i ildenget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Dutch van de regen in de drup, van kwaad tot erger
  • van de regen in de drupget from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • van kwaad tot ergerget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Esperanto fali de sitelo en barelon
  • fali de sitelo en barelonget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Finnish ojasta allikkoon
  • ojasta allikkoonget from an already bad situation to a worse one
French de Charybde en Scylla
  • de Charybde en Scyllaget from an already bad situation to a worse one
German vom Regen in die Traufe
  • vom Regen in die Traufeget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Greek από τη Σκύλλα στη Χάρυβδη
  • από τη Σκύλλα στη Χάρυβδη (apó ti Skýlla sti Cháryvdi)get from an already bad situation to a worse one
Hebrew מן הפח אל הפחת
  • מן הפח אל הפחתget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Hungarian cseberből vederbe
  • cseberből vederbeget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Icelandic úr öskunni í eldinn
  • úr öskunni í eldinnget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Irish amach as na muineacha is isteach sna driseacha, ón tine chun na gríosaí
  • amach as na muineacha is isteach sna driseachaget from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • ón tine chun na gríosaíget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Italian cadere dalla padella nella brace, dalla padella alla brace
  • cadere dalla padella nella braceget from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • dalla padella alla braceget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Japanese 一難去ってまた一難
  • 一難去ってまた一難 (ichinan satte mata ichinan)get from an already bad situation to a worse one
Lithuanian nuo vilko ant meškos
  • nuo vilko ant meškosget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Malay terlepas dari mulut buaya, masuk ke mulut harimau
  • terlepas dari mulut buaya, masuk ke mulut harimauget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Norwegian Bokmål fra asken til ilden
  • fra asken til ildenget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Polish wpadać z deszczu pod rynnę, wpaść z deszczu pod rynnę
  • wpadać z deszczu pod rynnęget from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • wpaść z deszczu pod rynnęget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Portuguese da frigideira para o fogo
  • da frigideira para o fogoget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Romanian din lac în puț
  • din lac în puțget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Scottish Gaelic às an dris anns an droigheann, às an teine don ghrìosaich
  • às an dris anns an droigheannget from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • às an teine don ghrìosaichget from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • às a' choire anns an teineget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Slovak z blata do kaluže
  • z blata do kalužeget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Spanish huir del fuego para caer en las brasas, salir de Guatemala y meterse en Guatepeor
  • huir del fuego para caer en las brasasget from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • salir de Guatemala y meterse en Guatepeorget from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • salir de Málaga y entrar en Malagónget from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • éramos pocos y parió la abuelaget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Swedish ur askan i elden
  • ur askan i eldenget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Turkish yağmurdan kaçarken doluya tutulmak
  • yağmurdan kaçarken doluya tutulmakget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Ukrainian з вогню та в полум'я, з дощу та під ринву
  • з вогню та в полум'я (z vohnju ta v polumʺja)get from an already bad situation to a worse one
  • з дощу та під ринву (z došču ta pid rynvu)get from an already bad situation to a worse one
Vietnamese tránh vỏ dưa gặp vỏ dừa
  • tránh vỏ dưa gặp vỏ dừaget from an already bad situation to a worse one
Cite this entry
APA

out of the frying pan, into the fire. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20the%20frying%20pan%2C%20into%20the%20fire

MLA

“out of the frying pan, into the fire.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20the%20frying%20pan%2C%20into%20the%20fire. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “out of the frying pan, into the fire,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/out%20of%20the%20frying%20pan%2C%20into%20the%20fire.

Source: out of the frying pan, into the fire on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.