Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

albatross around one's neck

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 2.88 in modern English

Syllables: al-ba-tross around one's -neck
IPA

32

Scrabble Score

23

Letters

4

Syllables

13

Unique Chars

Meaning

noun

A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.

Example Sentences

"He bought the properties last year hoping to make a profit by reselling them; however, with the economic downturn, they have become an albatross around his neck."
"Less attention was paid to the albatross that Bain, KKR, and Vornado had placed around the company’s neck. Toys “R” Us had a debt load of $1.86 billion before it was bought out."
"“Marine wants to be French president, and her chance are pretty good for 2027,” said one former senior AfD official. “Why would she want a bunch of German neo-Nazis like an albatross round her neck?”"

Etymology

From The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, wherein a sailor's killing of an albatross brings bad luck and results in the dead bird being hung around the killer's neck by his crewmates.

Inflected Forms

albatross round one's neck (alternative)

Phrases

millstone around one's neck monkey on one's back

Frequently Paired Words

millstone around one's neck monkey on one's back

Questions

What does albatross around one's neck mean?: A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.
Where does albatross around one's neck come from?: From The Rime of the Ancient Mariner (1798) by Samuel Taylor Coleridge, wherein a sailor's killing of an albatross brings bad luck and results in the dead bird being hung around the killer's neck by his crewmates.

How to pronounce albatross around one's neck

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