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Faustian bargain

idiom

An agreement in which a person abandons his or her spiritual values or moral principles in order to obtain knowledge, wealth or other benefits.


Anchors to
Related idioms4entries
  1. 01

    drive a hard bargain

    To negotiate forcefully.

  2. 02

    Faustian deal

    A Faustian bargain.

  3. 03

    Faustian dilemma

    Having to choose between an option that promises short-term gain with foreseeable adverse long-term consequences, and an alternative option with no short-term gain and possibly even short-term suffering, but promising an eventually better future than the first option.

  4. 04

    fool's bargain

    A bad bargain; one that leaves the person accepting it worse off.

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