Jekyll and Hyde

American  

[jek-uhl, jee-kuhl] / ˈdʒɛk əl, ˈdʒi kəl /

noun

1. a person marked by dual personality, one aspect of which is good and the other bad.

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Jekyll and Hyde British  

/ ˈdʒɛkəl, haɪd /

noun

1. 1. a person with two distinct personalities, one good, the other evil

   2. ( as modifier )

      a Jekyll-and-Hyde personality

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Jekyll and Hyde Idioms  

1. A personality alternating between good and evil behavior, as in You never know whether Bob will be a Jekyll or a Hyde. This expression comes from Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886). Also see lead a double life.

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Etymology

Origin of Jekyll and Hyde

After the protagonist of Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886)

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Jekyll and Hyde

They make Jekyll and Hyde look uncomplicated; at times pure thoroughbreds, the Frankel of rugby and, at other times, self-destructive, the Devon Loch of the age.

From BBC ● Mar. 15, 2025

Over its long history, hormone replacement therapy for women in menopause has been the Jekyll and Hyde of medications.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 21, 2025

But it’s the Jekyll and Hyde manner those shots have been compiled — something McCann alluded to — that’s been perplexing in its inconsistency.

From Seattle Times ● Nov. 12, 2023

Heather says that during her childhood her mum was a Jekyll and Hyde character who would swing from being her best friend to someone she needed to avoid.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2023

Gradually, however, like Jekyll and Hyde, one personality began to predominate.

From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane