vicious circle

American  

noun

1. Also called vicious cycle.  a situation in which effort to solve a given problem results in aggravation of the problem or the creation of a worse problem.

   a vicious circle where the more I give them, the more they expect.

2. Logic.

   1. (in demonstration) the use of each of two propositions to establish the other.

   2. (in definition) the use of each of two terms to define the other.

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vicious circle British  

noun

1. Also: vicious cycle.  a situation in which an attempt to resolve one problem creates new problems that lead back to the original situation

2. logic

   1. a form of reasoning in which a conclusion is inferred from premises the truth of which cannot be established independently of that conclusion

   2. an explanation given in terms that cannot be understood independently of that which was to be explained

   3. a situation in which some statement is shown to entail its negation and vice versa, as this statement is false is true only if false and false only if true

3. med a condition in which one disease or disorder causes another, which in turn aggravates the first condition

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vicious circle Cultural  

1. A series of reactions that compound an initial unfortunate occurrence or situation: “A person who is overweight is likely to feel frustrated and to deal with this frustration by eating more; it's a vicious circle.”

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vicious circle Idioms  

1. A series of events in which each problem creates another and worsens the original one. For example, The fatter I get, the unhappier I am, so I eat to cheer myself up, which makes me fatter yet—it's a vicious circle. This expression comes from the French cercle vicieux, which in philosophy means “a circular proof”—that is, the proof of one statement depends on a second statement, whose proof in turn depends on the first. One writer suggests that the English meaning of “vicious” helped the expression acquire its more pejorative present sense, used since 1839.

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Etymology

Origin of vicious circle

First recorded in 1785–95

Example Sentences

Increased prices for food ingredients and fertilizers are still pushing up costs for traders, farmers and consumers leading to a "vicious circle" fuelling a "cost-of-living crisis", a cheesemonger said.

From BBC • May 17, 2026

Chapters follow Alice into her 30s, trenchantly dissecting the vicious circle of her lifetime dependency on medication.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 17, 2025

The business squeeze has in turn led many establishments to raise entry charges and drinks prices, setting off a vicious circle where many young people and stalwarts of the scene feel priced out.

From Barron's • Oct. 16, 2025

It’s a vicious circle of rats abandoning ship.

From Slate • Jul. 10, 2025

This is what is known as a vicious circle.

From "The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread" by Kate DiCamillo

Related Words

• chain reaction
• vicious cycle