bed of nails
Americannoun
Etymology
Origin of bed of nails
First recorded in 1965–70
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Equity may be comfortable for now — but debt is a bed of nails.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 9, 2026
It is merely a sleight of hand and a twist of fate, and we're all resting on Bono's bed of nails while we wait for the other shoe to drop.
From Salon ● Apr. 7, 2022
In the back, one performer, Alaska, rested on a bed of nails.
From New York Times ● Mar. 15, 2020
Extremely devout pilgrims, Zubryzycki relates, might wander the earth penitentially holding their arms above their heads or sleeping on a bed of nails.
From Washington Post ● Oct. 17, 2018
She fell fast and she fell hard, but what did that matter, since she would have gladly dropped a thousand feet onto a bed of nails if Westley had been waiting at the bottom.
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
