Meanings
present singular third person takes the bull by the horns · participle present taking the bull by the horns · past took the bull by the horns · participle past taken the bull by the horns
- To deal with a matter in a direct manner, especially to confront a difficulty rather than avoid it.
[H]e was ready to take the bull by the horns and pay for his meal himself.
1920, P. G. Wodehouse, chapter 4, in The Coming of Bill4 more examples
Wordsworth has a system which disposes him to take the bull by the horns and offend public taste.
1828 May, Sir Walter Scott, The Journal of Sir Walter Scott"Then why couldn' ye take the bull by the horns an' march in by the front door?"
1912, Arthur Quiller-Couch, chapter 4, in Hocken and HunkenIn Korea General MacArthur took the bull by the horns and threw seven divisions into an all-out drive to clear North Korea.
1950 December 4, “The Nation: Between Friends”, in Time"Should I tell her? Should I send someone else?" he said yesterday. "I took the bull by the horns. I gave her the diagnosis. It was the most difficult time of my life."
2002 May 16, Selena Roberts, “Tennis: Healthy Morariu Expects to Return to Court”, in New York Times, retrieved 02 Aug 2011Synonyms: grab the bull by the horns
Synonyms & antonyms
verbTo deal with a matter in a direct manner, especially to confront a difficulty rather than avoid it.
Translations
Afrikaans die bul by die horings pak
- die bul by die horings pakto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Chinese Mandarin 打蛇打七寸
- 打蛇打七寸 (dǎshédǎqīcùn)to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Czech jít na to rovnou, popadnout býka rovnou za rohy
- jít na to rovnouto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
- popadnout býka rovnou za rohyto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Danish tage tyren ved hornene
- tage tyren ved horneneto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Dutch de koe bij de hoorns vatten
- de koe bij de hoorns vattento deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Esperanto preni la bovon per la kornoj, rekte alfronti problemon
- preni la bovon per la kornojto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
- rekte alfronti problemonto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Finnish ottaa härkää sarvista
- ottaa härkää sarvistato deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
French prendre le taureau par les cornes
- prendre le taureau par les cornesto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
German den Stier bei den Hörnen packen, den Stier an den Hörnen fassen
- den Stier bei den Hörnen packento deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
- den Stier an den Hörnen fassento deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Italian prendere il toro per le corna
- prendere il toro per le cornato deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Māori kua eke te waka ki te au moana
- kua eke te waka ki te au moanato deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Norwegian Bokmål ta tyren ved hornene
- ta tyren ved horneneto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Polish łapać byka za rogi, złapać byka za rogi
- łapać byka za rogito deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
- złapać byka za rogito deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Portuguese pegar o touro pelos cornos, pegar o touro pelos chifres
- pegar o touro pelos cornosto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
- pegar o touro pelos chifresto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
- encarar de frenteto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Russian взять быка за рога́
- взять быка за рога́ (vzjatʹ byka za rogá)to deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Spanish coger el toro por los cuernos
- coger el toro por los cuernosto deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Swedish ta tjuren vid hornen
- ta tjuren vid hornento deal directly with a matter; to confront a difficulty
Cite this entry
take the bull by the horns. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20bull%20by%20the%20horns
“take the bull by the horns.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20bull%20by%20the%20horns. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “take the bull by the horns,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/take%20the%20bull%20by%20the%20horns.
Source: take the bull by the horns on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.