# writing on the wall

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/writing-on-the-wall
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

An ominous warning; a prediction of bad luck.

## Examples

- The company is failing and everyone sees the writing on the wall.
- I see the writing on the wall for our old car.
- After the manager resigned and sales dropped, the staff saw the writing on the wall for the department.
- When the landlord stopped fixing the leaks and put a 'For Sale' sign outside, the tenants saw the writing on the wall.
- You should look at the writing on the wall before you invest more money into a business that loses customers every month.
- Despite the optimistic speeches from the board, the sudden departure of key investors served as the writing on the wall for the struggling enterprise.

## Origin

From the Biblical story in Daniel 5, where, during a feast held by King Belshazzar, a hand suddenly appears and writes on a wall the following Aramaic words: מְנֵא מְנֵא תְּקֵל וּפַרְסִין (mənē mənē təqēl ūp̄arsīn, “numbered, numbered, weighed, and they are divided”) (Daniel 5:25). Daniel interprets the words as pointing to the downfall of the Babylonian Empire.

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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.