# albatross around one's neck

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/albatross-around-ones-neck
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A characteristic, possession, associate, or previous deed that hinders one's ability to succeed.

## Examples

- That old debt is an albatross around my neck.
- This heavy secret is an albatross around her neck.
- His past mistake became an albatross around his neck, making it difficult for him to get a new job.
- The expensive sports car you bought is an albatross around your neck because the monthly repairs cost more than your rent.
- A bad reputation from high school can be an albatross around your neck when you try to make new friends in a small town.
- The failing company he inherited proved to be an albatross around his neck, preventing him from pursuing his own creative ambitions.

## Origin

The phrase originates in Samuel Taylor Coleridge’s 1798 poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner. In the narrative, a sailor shoots a sea bird, an act which is perceived by his crewmates as the cause of a subsequent run of misfortune. As a mark of his guilt and a public reminder of the resulting curse, the crew forces the mariner to wear the carcass of the dead bird suspended from his neck.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.