lesser of two evils

Idioms  

1. The somewhat less unpleasant of two poor choices. For example, I'd rather stay home and miss the picnic altogether than run into those nasty people—it's the lesser of two evils. This expression was already a proverb in ancient Greek and appeared in English by the late 1300s. Chaucer used it in Troilus and Cressida.

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Example Sentences

"It comes down to choosing the lesser of two evils."

From Barron's • Dec. 20, 2025

"The lesser of two evils," was a phrase used by several of our panellists.

From BBC • Jan. 27, 2024

"It's the lesser of two evils," says Tallamy.

From Salon • May 28, 2022

Arguing that an overcrowded apartment is better than homelessness is like trying to decide the lesser of two evils, Ms. Solari said.

From New York Times • Jan. 8, 2022

Eventually Massasoit concluded that he possibly should ally with them—compared to the Narragansett, they were the lesser of two evils.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann