Phrase guide

lesser of two evils

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.

  • UK: /lɛsə(ɹ)‿əv tuː‿iːvəlz/
  • Australia: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.

1

noun

Meaning 1

The least harmful or unpleasant of two undesirable alternatives.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: idiomatic, uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: lesser evil

Antonyms: greater of two evils

History

Etymology

No etymology was provided for this word.

Across languages

Translations

13 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أَهْوَنُ الشَّرَّيْنِ (ʔahwanu š-šarrayni) — Translations
  • Chinese Mandarin: "to choose the lesser of two evils" — Translations
  • Chinese Mandarin: 兩害相權取其輕 /两害相权取其轻 (liǎng hài xiāng quán qǔ qí qīng) — Translations
  • Finnish: pienempi paha — Translations
  • French: moindre mal — Translations
  • German: geringeres Übel — Translations
  • Hungarian: kisebbik rossz — Translations
  • Italian: male minore — Translations
  • Polish: mniejsze zło — Translations
  • Romanian: răul cel mai mic — Translations
  • Russian: ме́ньшее из двух зол (ménʹšeje iz dvux zol) — Translations
  • Spanish: mal menor — Translations
  • Turkish: ehvenişer — Translations