lesser of two evils

The somewhat less unpleasant of two poor choices. For example, I'd rather stay home and miss the picnic altogether than run into those nasty people—it's the lesser of two evils. This expression was already a proverb in ancient Greek and appeared in English by the late 1300s. Chaucer used it in Troilus and Cressida.

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Example Sentences

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That’s why people worry about “wasting” their vote, or end up holding their nose and voting for the lesser of two evils.

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The Canadian prime minister may accept being the lesser of two evils in Trump's mind, however.

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But he also should have known—again, from experience—that the U.S. sometimes has to form partnerships with the lesser of two evils.

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"It's the lesser of two evils for me right now," she said, explaining that she would ultimately cast her ballot for Harris but felt Trump may prove better for small businesses.

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But I won’t consider my vote for Harris as being forced to choose between the “lesser of two evils.”

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lesser Ionic lesser omentum

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