double-edged sword

American  

[duhb-uhl-ejd sawrd] / ˈdʌb əlˈɛdʒd ˈsɔrd /

noun

1. a sword whose blade has two cutting edges.

   This game character wields a wide double-edged sword to slice an enemy in two, armor and all, with brute strength.

2. something whose desirable effects are necessarily accompanied by undesirable ones.

   Studying from home is a double-edged sword—you can roll out of bed at 10 a.m. and attend class in your pajamas, but you can skip class with equal ease.

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Etymology

Origin of double-edged sword

First recorded in 1580–90

Example Sentences

But it’s kind of a double-edged sword because politicians cannot fool people repeatedly.

From Salon

Yet Obstfeld says the loopholes in US tariffs are a double-edged sword.

From BBC

“I felt bad from the start,” Redd said, adding that the relationship was an “emotional double-edged sword” given his collaborations with Emmy-winning “SNL” fixture Thompson.

From Los Angeles Times

That’s a double-edged sword for the Fed.

From MarketWatch

“It’s like a double-edged sword,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times