English Idioms from A-Z

Dance With The Devil

The idiom "dance with the devil" means to engage in a risky or dangerous activity or to associate with someone who is dangerous or immoral. It implies that the person who is engaging in this activity or association is taking a great risk and may suffer negative consequences.

This idiom is often used to describe situations where someone is knowingly engaging in a dangerous or risky behavior, such as taking drugs, engaging in criminal activity, or associating with dangerous people. It can also be used to describe situations where someone is taking a risk in order to achieve a goal, such as starting a new business or pursuing a risky investment.

For example, if someone says "I know it's risky, but I'm willing to dance with the devil and invest all my savings in this new startup," they mean that they are willing to take a big risk in order to potentially achieve a big reward. Similarly, if someone says "I don't want to dance with the devil and get involved with that group of criminals," they mean that they don't want to take the risk of associating with dangerous people.


The usage of the idiom 'Dance With The Devil' in a sentence

• The CEO of the company was caught dancing with the devil when it was discovered that he had been embezzling funds. (passive voice)

• If you start to gamble, you're going to dance with the devil and risk losing all your money. (conditional sentence)

• Despite the consequences, she chose to dance with the devil and pursue her career as a drug dealer. (complex sentence)

• I heard that John likes to dance with the devil by smoking and drinking at the same time. (simple present)

• The politician's decision to ignore the environmental crisis and prioritize corporate interests showed that he was willing to dance with the devil for personal gain. (compound-complex sentence)

• She knew that she was dancing with the devil when she started dating the notorious criminal. (past continuous)

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