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borrow trouble

Idioms  
  1. Go out of one's way to do something that may be harmful, as in Just sign the will—telling her about it ahead of time is borrowing trouble. [Mid-1800s] Also see ask for, def. 2.


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.

“Don’t borrow trouble” is my favorite, a solid distillation of “Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof” from the Gospels.

From New York Times

Leslie Feist makes boisterous, joyful noise on “Borrow Trouble,” the latest single from her upcoming album, “Multitudes.”

From New York Times

I don’t think you need to borrow trouble here by worrying that you love your nephew too much.

From Slate

“Things that are super important to me and make the rest of life bearable may not be physically possible for a very long time. I’m trying not to ‘borrow trouble,’ but there is definitely validity to accepting grief for what has been lost.”

From New York Times

Don’t borrow trouble for the future.

From Slate