Explaining "Once bitten, twice shy"

Reviewed and edited by

Anwar Kareem 10/10/2024, 09:05

English.me team member

What does it mean?

The phrase "Once bitten, twice shy" means that after experiencing a negative situation, particularly one that involves being hurt or suffering a loss, a person is likely to be more cautious or hesitant to engage in similar situations in the future.

Tone

The tone of the phrase is cautionary and suggests wariness or vigilance based on past experiences.

Origin

The phrase is believed to have originated from the idea of a person being bitten by an animal, like a dog, and then being wary of dogs in the future. Its earliest usage tracing back to Aesop's fables with similar sentiments.

Examples of usage

After getting food poisoning from the restaurant, she's once bitten, twice shy about dining out.
He had a rough experience with his last business partner, so now he's once bitten, twice shy when it comes to forming new partnerships.
She's once bitten, twice shy about lending money to friends after never being repaid the last time.