idiom (phrase) · neutral
between a rock and a hard place
UK/bɪˈtwiːn ə rɒk ənd ə hɑːd pleɪs/US/bɪˈtwiːn ə rɑːk ənd ə hɑrd pleɪs/be·TWEEN·A·ROCK·AND·A·HARD·PLACE
To be in a situation where you have to choose between two equally unpleasant or difficult options.
Examples
“If we raise taxes or cut services, we're between a rock and a hard place.”
“She felt between a rock and a hard place when both friends asked for favors.”
“Deciding whether to lay off staff or reduce hours put management between a rock and a hard place.”
Band 8 sentence
“When budget constraints forced either program cuts or tax hikes, policymakers found themselves squarely between a rock and a hard place.”
Collocations
- be between a rock and a hard place over
- put someone between a rock and a hard place
Word family
Common mistakes
between rock and hard place→between a rock and a hard place
between the rock and the hard place→between a rock and a hard place
Say it for a higher band
5in a difficult situation→6in a dilemma→7+between a rock and a hard place
Synonyms
in a dilemma
in a quandary
Easily confused
in a dilemma
“The committee was in a dilemma about which policy to support.”
Related words
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In Hardship
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