hɔɪst wɪð wʌnz oʊn pɪˈtɑːrd
General
formal
advanced
- Literally:
- Blown up by one's own small explosive device
What does "hoist with one's own petard" mean?
To be harmed by one's own scheme intended to harm others
Examples
- The politician who spread false rumors was hoist with his own petard when the lies were traced back to him.
- The manager tried to get her colleague fired but was hoist with her own petard.
- They attempted to undermine the competitor but were hoist with their own petard.
Origin
From Shakespeare's Hamlet (Act 3, Scene 4).
How to use it
A literary expression from Shakespeare. Often misquoted as 'hoisted by his own petard.'
Similar expressions
backfire
boomerang effect
taste of one's own medicine
Related idioms
- actions speak louder than words
What people do is more important than what they say
- better safe than sorry
It's better to be careful and prevent problems than to take risks
- so far so good
Things have gone well up to now
- easier said than done
Something is more difficult to do than to talk about
- make a long story short
To summarize or get to the point
- to make matters worse
In addition to existing problems
Use it in a practice answer
Try "hoist with one's own petard" in a CELPIP-style Speaking or Writing task. The AI feedback tells you whether your word choice worked.