out of the frying pan (and|) into the fire
1
used when one moves from a bad situation into a worse one
The idiom "out of the frying pan, into the fire" has its origins in medieval Europe, where it was used to describe a situation where someone was trying to escape danger but ended up in an even worse situation. The phrase now means to move from a bad or difficult situation to one that is even worse. This idiom is often used to describe a situation where someone is trying to escape a difficult or unpleasant circumstance, but ends up in a situation that is even more challenging.
- He always seems to jump out of the frying pan and into the fire by making impulsive decisions.
- If you don't think things through, you may jump out of the frying pan, into the fire.
- She is going out of the frying pan and into the fire by quitting her stable job without a backup plan.
- The refugee thought he was out of the frying pan when he left his war-torn country, but he ended up in a refugee camp where conditions were just as bad.
- They have gone out of the frying pan, into the fire by moving to a new city without researching the job market.