once bitten, twice shy

once bitten, twice shy

Once one is hurt by someone or something, one will be extra cautious to avoid that person or thing. I've learned my lesson from dating actors—once bitten, twice shy. The company's brief but disastrous attempt was enough for them to vow never to venture into the mobile phone market again. Once bitten, twice shy.

See also: once, shy, twice

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2022 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

Once bitten, twice shy.

Prov. When something or someone has hurt you once, you tend to avoid that thing or person. Jill: Let's go ride the roller coaster. Jane: No, thanks. I got really sick on one of those once—once bitten, twice shy. I once sent in money for something I saw advertised in the back of a magazine, but the merchandise was of such poor quality I was sorry I'd bought it. I'll never buy anything that way again; once bitten, twice shy.

See also: once, shy, twice

McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

once bitten, twice shy

Once hurt, one is doubly cautious in the future, as in He was two days late last time, so she's not hiring him again-once bitten, twice shy. This seemingly old observation, presumably alluding to an animal biting someone, was first recorded in 1894.

See also: once, shy, twice

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer. Copyright © 2003, 1997 by The Christine Ammer 1992 Trust. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

once bitten, twice shy

or

once bitten

You say once bitten, twice shy to mean that a bad experience makes you not want to become involved in a similar situation in the future. I'm certainly not looking for a new boyfriend. Once bitten, twice shy. Tokyo's punters, once bitten, twice shy, will not come rushing back for more.

See also: once, shy, twice

Collins COBUILD Idioms Dictionary, 3rd ed. © HarperCollins Publishers 2012

once bitten, twice shy

a bad experience makes you wary of the same thing happening again.

This expression dates from the late 19th century. A variant common in the USA is once burned, twice shy .

See also: once, shy, twice

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

ˌonce ˈbitten, ˌtwice ˈshy

(saying) if something has gone wrong once, you are very careful not to let something similar happen again: ‘Will she marry again, do you think?’ ‘I doubt it — once bitten, twice shy.’

See also: once, shy, twice

Farlex Partner Idioms Dictionary © Farlex 2017

once bitten, twice shy

One injury will make one extra cautious in the future. This proverbial saying appears to date from the mid-nineteenth century, although the idea is centuries older. William Scarborough’s version of Chinese Proverbs (1875) stated, “Once bitten by a snake in passing by, a second time he will of grass be shy.”

See also: once, shy, twice

The Dictionary of Clichés by Christine Ammer Copyright © 2013 by Christine Ammer