shoot yourself in the foot
Meaning
To harm your own interests by doing something foolish or self-defeating.
Origin
From the literal idea of accidentally firing a gun into your own foot—an obvious act of self-inflicted harm. It became a common metaphor in 20th-century English for self-sabotage.
Notes
Common, informal-to-neutral. Used for mistakes that backfire and damage your own position; not about literal self-harm.
Examples
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I shot myself in the foot by emailing the wrong client and revealing our pricing.
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If you skip the interview preparation, you’ll just be shooting yourself in the foot.
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She shot herself in the foot when she criticized her boss in a public meeting.
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Don’t shoot yourself in the foot by spending your entire paycheck before rent is due.
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By refusing to compromise, the team shot itself in the foot and lost the contract.
Grammar & Usage Notes
Usually used as a verb phrase: “shoot yourself in the foot,” often with pronouns (I/you/we/they). Can be inflected (shot) and modified (“really/always shooting yourself in the foot”). Also used as a gerund (“shooting yourself in the foot”).
Synonyms
- self-sabotage
- undermine yourself
- backfire on yourself
- do yourself in
Antonyms
- help yourself
- do yourself a favor
- play it smart