[Idiom] EYE FOR AN EYE. - Master Captivating Language Nuances
Eye for an eye.
Equal retaliation.
An "eye for an eye" refers to the concept of exact retribution or revenge that is equivalent to the initial wrongdoing. Historically derived from the ancient laws that demanded a punishment fitting the crime, this idiom is employed in modern contexts to discuss justice or retaliation where the response mirrors the original act in scale and kind.
Example Sentences
The feud between the two neighbors turned into an eye for an eye situation when one cut down a tree and the other smashed a car window.
The feud between the two neighbors turned into a situation where they kept retaliating against each other.
In historical tribes, justice was often an eye for an eye—they would literally take what was taken from them.
In historical tribes, justice meant exacting revenge for what was taken from them.
The constant one-upmanship between the two colleagues became an eye for an eye, each trying to outdo the other’s sales.
The constant competition between the two colleagues became a tit-for-tat situation, with each trying to outdo the other.