Phrase guide
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
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noun
A situation in which victory has little or no value, but defeat has a huge cost.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: UK, idiomatic, informal
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
From horse racing, hiding (“beating”); to (“as used to express gambling odds”), e.g., 6 to 1. Literally, the phrase can be described as to bet on a contest whose outcome is at worst a beating, or at best nothing. A heavily favoured team in a sporting contest earns no credit for victory, but is shamed by defeat; this team is said to be on a hiding to nothing.
