Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

live by the sword, die by the sword

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.01 in modern English

Syllables: live by the s-word, die by the s-word
IPA

55

Scrabble Score

27

Letters

3

Syllables

13

Unique Chars

Meaning

proverb

One who uses violence can expect a violent response; it is better to try to use peaceful means wherever possible.

proverb

One can expect dire outcomes from any vice; used to convey a sense that poetic justice is inevitable.

proverb

The means of one's success can become the means of one's downfall.

Example Sentences

"And in Dirk Diggler's most anguished scene, as he shouts at Jack Horner, "I'm ready to shoot my scene RIGHT NOW!" we learn that those who live by the sword can also die by it."
"In the “live by the sword, die by the sword” category of ironic litigation, consider the fate of struggling hardware and software maker Sun Microsystems."
"“Before the contest, I tweeted ‘Live by the sword, die by the sword’,” he said. “I helped developing AI and I would be the one who would be the loser of the match. Although I won, in the end, for now.”"

Etymology

From the Bible, Matthew 26:52, where Jesus rebukes one of his disciples for having used his sword against a servant of the High Priest of Israel.

Questions

What does live by the sword, die by the sword mean?: One who uses violence can expect a violent response; it is better to try to use peaceful means wherever possible.
Where does live by the sword, die by the sword come from?: From the Bible, Matthew 26:52, where Jesus rebukes one of his disciples for having used his sword against a servant of the High Priest of Israel.

How to pronounce live by the sword, die by the sword

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