Phrase guide

a blessing and a curse

noun · 1 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)s

1

noun

Meaning 1

Something that is simultaneously a benefit and a burden, or that may seem initially beneficial but also brings unforeseen negative consequences.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: no-plural

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

From the King James translation of Deuteronomy 11:26 (Behold, I set before you this day, a blessing and a curse.).

Across languages

Translations

11 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 塞翁失馬,焉知非福 /塞翁失马 — something that is both a benefit and a burden
  • Chinese Mandarin: 焉知非福 (sàiwēng shī mǎ, yānzhī fēi fú) — something that is both a benefit and a burden
  • Chinese Mandarin: 既是好事,也是壞事 /既是好事 — something that is both a benefit and a burden
  • Chinese Mandarin: 也是坏事 — something that is both a benefit and a burden
  • Czech: požehnání a prokletí — something that is both a benefit and a burden
  • Czech: požehnání i prokletí — something that is both a benefit and a burden
  • Finnish: sekä siunaus että kirous — something that is both a benefit and a burden
  • German: Segen und Fluch — something that is both a benefit and a burden
  • German: Fluch und Segen — something that is both a benefit and a burden
  • Polish: miecz obosieczny — something that is both a benefit and a burden
  • Portuguese: uma bênção e uma maldição — something that is both a benefit and a burden