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Synonyms

double-edged

American  
[duhb-uhl-ejd] / ˈdʌb əlˈɛdʒd /

adjective

  1. having two cutting edges, as a razor blade.

  2. capable of acting two ways or having opposite effects.

    a double-edged argument.
double-edged British  

adjective

  1. acting in two ways; having a dual effect

    a double-edged law

  2. (of a remark, argument, etc) having two possible interpretations, esp applicable both for and against or being really malicious though apparently innocuous

  3. (of a sword, knife, etc) having a cutting edge on either side of the blade

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of double-edged

First recorded in 1545–55

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.

A significant chunk of recent growth has been driven by healthcare spending from an aging population, a trend he described as a double-edged sword.

From Barron's

A significant chunk of recent growth has been driven by healthcare spending from an aging population, a trend he described as a double-edged sword.

From Barron's

Gellar wields a double-edged sword: “Buffy” helped shape the landscape of modern TV, but it’s because the show was and is so popular that the role sticks to her no matter where she goes.

From Salon

AI enters a culture already sliced and diced by the double-edged sword of digital technology.

From Los Angeles Times

Strategic ambiguity, if that’s what this is, can be a double-edged sword.

From The Wall Street Journal

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.