# beard the lion in his den

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/beard-the-lion-in-his-den
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To confront an adversary in his or her own environment.

## Examples

- I have to beard the lion in his den and ask for a raise.
- She decided to beard the lion in his den by visiting the manager's office to complain about the new policy.
- Knowing the director would be furious, the young lawyer steeled himself to beard the lion in his den and challenge the unfair contract terms directly.

## Origin

From the sense of *beard* meaning to confront, specifically by seizing or plucking the beard of an opponent as a gesture of extreme defiance.

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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.