# cruel mistress

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/cruel-mistress
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Something which has both significant positive and negative aspects.

## Examples

- The ocean is a cruel mistress for any sailor.
- He loves his job as a professional athlete, but he knows that fame is a cruel mistress.
- While the stock market brought him immense wealth, he soon learned that it is a cruel mistress that can take everything away in an instant.

## Origin

From cruel + mistress

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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.