frying pan
Americannoun
idioms
noun
-
a long-handled shallow pan used for frying
-
from a bad situation to a worse one
Etymology
Origin of frying pan
1350–1400; Middle English fryinge panne
Compare meaning
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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.
From the frying pan to the fire, the Lakers now travel to Oklahoma City to face the defending champion Thunder in the Western Conference semifinals beginning Tuesday.
From Los Angeles Times • May 2, 2026
Weather that swings from deep freeze to frying pan.
From Barron's • Apr. 14, 2026
Yet the country may be launching out of the frying pan and into the fire.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 13, 2026
It quoted a Malian official as saying that Wagner operatives were "worse than the French. They think my men are more stupid than them. We have gone from the frying pan to the fire."
From BBC • Nov. 25, 2025
When I turned to go back inside, I was surprised to find Dedd at the door, a frying pan in her hand.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
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.
