Damocles

American  

[dam-uh-kleez] / ˈdæm əˌkliz /

noun

1. a flatterer who, having extolled the happiness of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, was seated at a banquet with a sword suspended over his head by a single hair to show him the perilous nature of that happiness.

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idioms

1. sword of Damocles, any situation threatening imminent harm or disaster.

Damocles British  

/ ˈdæməˌkliːz /

noun

1. classical myth a sycophant forced by Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, to sit under a sword suspended by a hair to demonstrate that being a king was not the happy state Damocles had said it was See also Sword of Damocles

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Other Word Forms

• Damoclean
  adjective

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Damocles

The sword of Damocles didn’t descend, but its glint lit every meeting.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026

“The mere investigation and the threat of finding a violation are sufficient: ‘the value of a sword of Damocles is that it hangs—not that it drops’,” ABC wrote.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 30, 2026

Companies hope the trade disputes will settle down, but tariffs hang over the economy like the Sword of Damocles.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 16, 2025

But even then, the rare earths situation could stay unresolved, “hanging like a sword of Damocles over many companies’ heads,” Gave says.

From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2025

The second week of January 1890, Jo writes to her sister, “It’s like a sword of Damocles forever hanging over our heads—I never really have a moment’s peace.”

From "Vincent and Theo: The Van Gogh Brothers" by Deborah Heiligman