slippery slope

slippery slope
noun
: a course of action that seems to lead inevitably from one action or result to another with unintended adverse consequences

we are far down the slippery slope to the betrayal of the articulate — Publishers Weekly

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a dangerous and irreversible course: the slippery slope from narcotics to prison.
[1985-90]

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slippery slope UK US noun [singular] british
a problem or situation that is getting worse and will become extremely bad unless it is stopped
be on a/​the slippery slope to something:

The country is on the slippery slope to revolution.

Thesaurus: difficult situations and experiencessynonym general problems and difficultiessynonym

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an idea or course of action which will lead to something unacceptable, wrong, or disastrous

he is on the slippery slope toward a life of crime

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noun [singular]
: a process or series of events that is hard to stop or control once it has begun and that usually leads to worse or more difficult things

His behavior will lead him down a slippery slope to ruin.


Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • slippery slope — noun singular BRITISH a problem or situation that is getting worse and will become extremely bad unless it is stopped: be on a/the slippery slope to something: The country is on the slippery slope to revolution …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • Slippery Slope — is a 2006 independent film starring Tony Award winning actor Dan Fogler.A slippery slope is also a style of philosophical argument where agreement at one end of a scale is used to justify agreement at the other end.External links*imdb… …   Wikipedia

  • slippery slope — A slippery slope is where a measure would lead to further worse measures …   The small dictionary of idiomes

  • slippery slope — ► NOUN ▪ a course of action likely to lead to something bad …   English terms dictionary

  • slippery slope — n. a course or situation regarded as easily or inevitably leading to further decline or deterioration …   English World dictionary

  • Slippery slope — In debate or rhetoric, the slippery slope is one of the classical informal fallacies. It suggests that an action will initiate a chain of events culminating in an undesirable event later without establishing or quantifying the relevant… …   Wikipedia

  • slippery slope — noun ADJECTIVE ▪ very ▪ dangerous ▪ proverbial ▪ He was on the proverbial slippery slope to bankruptcy. VERB + SLIPPERY SLOPE ▪ …   Collocations dictionary

  • slippery slope — UK / US noun [singular] a problem or situation that is getting worse and will become extremely bad unless it is stopped be on a/the slippery slope to something: The country is on the slippery slope to revolution …   English dictionary

  • slippery slope — slip′pery slope′ n. cvs a dangerous and irreversible course: the slippery slope from narcotics to prison[/ex] • Etymology: 1875–80 …   From formal English to slang

  • slippery slope — a dangerous and irreversible course: the slippery slope from narcotics to prison. [1985 90] * * * …   Universalium

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