Grapple with a dilemma 🤼♂️⚖️
Meaning
To struggle to decide between two or more difficult or undesirable options.
Origin
The word 'grapple' originally referred to a type of hook used for seizing or catching things, particularly in naval warfare. Imagine ships lashing together with grappling hooks, a fierce and difficult struggle for control. When we 'grapple with a dilemma,' we're using that same sense of a difficult, close-quarters struggle, but it's internal. We're locked in a tough fight with our own choices, trying to seize hold of the best path forward in a situation where all options are thorny.
Grapple with a dilemma represented with emoji🤼♂️⚖️
This playful juxtaposition of wrestling figures and a balanced scale functions as a charming visual metaphor. It teaches the viewer to think about how we often have to wrestle with tough decisions and grapple with dilemmas. Note how the directness of the emoji captures the inherent struggle before the careful consideration.
Examples
- She had to grapple with a dilemma: accept the lower-paying but more fulfilling job, or stay in her current position.
- The committee was grappling with a dilemma about whether to fund the new park or repair the existing road.
- Barnaby the badger was grappling with a dilemma: should he nibble on the moon cheese he found, or save it for a rainy day biscuit?
- Penelope the pixie was grappling with a dilemma: use her last sparkle to grant a wish for a new teacup, or to make her shoes glow brighter?
Frequently asked questions
'Grapple with a dilemma' is generally considered an idiom. It uses figurative language to express a struggle to make a difficult choice, rather than stating a general truth or piece of advice like a proverb.
The opposite of 'grapple with a dilemma' would be to effortlessly make a choice or to have no difficult decisions to face at all. Phrases like 'have an easy decision' or 'face no predicament' capture this contrast.
You can absolutely 'grapple with a dilemma' alone, as the struggle is primarily internal. The phrase emphasizes the personal wrestling with difficult choices, though the dilemma itself might arise from or affect relationships with others.
A more formal way to express 'grapple with a dilemma' could be 'contend with a difficult choice' or 'confront a challenging decision.' These alternatives convey the same sense of struggle but with more elevated vocabulary.