between a rock and a hard place
Meaning(s)
1. positioned between two difficult or negative situations
Popularity
High
Professional
High
Social
How to Memorize
stuck between a rock and a hard place
Analysis
This expression is part of the idiom ‘stuck between a rock and a hard place’, meaning to be cornered or in a position with no easy way out or a limited number of undesirable options. If you are stuck 'between a rock and a hard place' none of your options are desirable. This is a popular phrase in social and professional circles.
Social Examples (Advance)
- When his mother and his wife argued, it placed him between a rock and a hard place.
- I was given the option to move out immediately or pay a huge amount of money. I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.
Professional Examples (Advance)
- In my new job, I got stuck between a rock and a hard place, having to choose between working with either an incompetent person or someone I didn't like.
- We can either invest the same amount again to try to shift the product or accept the loss, we're between a rock and a hard place on this one.