# nourish a viper in one's bosom

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/nourish-a-viper-in-ones-bosom
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To do acts of kindness that will be met with ingratitude and will cause one harm in the end.

## Examples

- He helped his rival, but he only nourished a viper in his bosom.
- You nourish a viper in your bosom when you trust a known liar.
- By giving the dishonest employee a promotion, the manager realized he had nourished a viper in his bosom.
- I let my cousin stay in my apartment for free, but I was nourishing a viper in my bosom when he stole my identity to open credit cards.
- The politician mentored the young assistant for years, only to find she was nourishing a viper in her bosom who leaked her private emails to the press.
- The king showed mercy to the captured rebel, never suspecting that he had nourished a viper in his bosom who would eventually lead the coup.

## Origin

From the fable of the Farmer and the Viper, attributed to the Greek storyteller Aesop. The expression draws upon the account of a man who discovers a frozen snake and, in an act of misplaced charity, places it inside his clothing to warm it against his skin. Upon its revival, the viper bit the farmer, a development that proved fatal for the man and socially awkward for the reptile.

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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.