A person living under constant threat of danger, based on an ancient Greek story about a sword hanging by a hair over someone's head.
From the Greek legend of Damocles, a courtier who was forced to sit under a sword suspended by a single hair to understand the constant peril of the tyrant Dionysius. The name has become synonymous with precarious situations since ancient times.
This word shows how one ancient story became so powerful that it shaped how we describe danger for over 2,000 years—the 'Sword of Damocles' phrase appears in political speeches and literature constantly, proving that vivid metaphors never get old.
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