Idiom
Double-edged sword
A double-edged sword is something that has both good and bad effects, often because the same feature that helps can also hurt.
How people use it
People usually say that something "is a double-edged sword" or "can be a double-edged sword." It often comes up with fame, technology, money and talent: working from home is a double-edged sword, because you skip the commute but may feel cut off. The point is balance; the downside is real, not just a small catch. The tone is neutral, so it fits news articles, essays and business meetings as well as everyday talk. Dictionaries spell the first part with a hyphen: double-edged.
Also said: two-edged sword, cuts both ways.
Examples
- Going viral online is a double-edged sword: more customers find you, but so do more critics.
- For Priya, a flexible schedule turned out to be a double-edged sword.
- Low interest rates are a two-edged sword for savers and borrowers alike.
Where it comes from
The image is a sword sharpened on both sides of the blade. Such a weapon cuts in either direction, so a careless swing can injure the person holding it as well as the target. English writers used "two-edged sword" from at least the 1500s, and the now more common "double-edged sword" became popular later. The figurative meaning grew from that picture of a blade that cuts both ways.
Check yourself
1. What does it mean to call a new phone app a double-edged sword?
Answer: It has clear benefits and clear drawbacks. A double-edged sword brings good and bad results at the same time.
2. Which sentence uses the idiom correctly?
Answer: Being the boss's friend is a double-edged sword: you get trust but also extra pressure.. The idiom fits when one thing has both upsides and downsides, not when something is simply easy.
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