# once bitten, twice shy

idiom · CEFR B2

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/once-bitten-twice-shy
Updated: 2026-06-07

## Meaning

You're more cautious when you've been hurt before

## Examples

- I won't lend him money again; once bitten, twice shy.
- After his first business failed, he was very careful with his next investment because he felt once bitten, twice shy.
- The diplomat approached the new treaty with extreme caution, embodying the philosophy of once bitten, twice shy after the previous agreement collapsed so spectacularly.

## Origin

Short for the 19th-century proverb 'once bitten, twice shy': someone bitten once is wary ever after. (disputed)

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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.