out of the frying pan into the fire
Meaning
To escape a bad situation only to end up in an even worse one.
Origin
From cooking imagery: jumping from a hot frying pan into an even hotter fire. Recorded in English from at least the 1500s; popularized through proverb collections and later literature.
Notes
Used when a change meant to improve things makes them worse; proverb-like and common in both speech and writing.
Examples
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I left that toxic job hoping for a fresh start, but my new boss is even worse—out of the frying pan into the fire.
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We moved to escape the noisy neighbors, only to end up next to a construction site; it was out of the frying pan into the fire.
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She broke up with her controlling boyfriend and started dating someone even more possessive, jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
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He sold his unreliable car and bought another one that broke down the next day—out of the frying pan into the fire.
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If we rush into this deal to avoid a small loss, we could land in bigger trouble—out of the frying pan into the fire.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Fixed proverb phrase; commonly used as a clause or with verbs like “go from…”, “jump from…”, or “be out of the frying pan and into the fire.” Articles are fixed (“the frying pan,” “the fire”).
Synonyms
- from bad to worse
- jump from the frying pan into the fire
- between a rock and a hard place
Antonyms
- out of the woods
- from bad to better
- turn the corner