Phrase guide

death by a thousand paper cuts

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

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1

noun

Meaning 1

An ultimate negative outcome, such as the failure of a project, brought about by an excessive number of bureaucratic hurdles.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Blend of death by a thousand cuts + paper cut. The "thousand cuts" of the original phrase are now inflicted by paper, a metonym for bureaucracy.