ALL meanings of damocles
Dam·o·cles
D d - noun damocles a sycophant forced by Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, to sit under a sword suspended by a hair to demonstrate that being a king was not the happy state Damocles had said it was 3
- noun damocles a courtier of ancient Syracuse who was given a lesson in the perils to a ruler's life when the king seated him at a feast under a sword hanging by a single hair 3
- noun damocles a flatterer who, having extolled the happiness of Dionysius, tyrant of Syracuse, was seated at a banquet with a sword suspended over his head by a single hair to show him the perilous nature of that happiness. 1
- idioms damocles sword of Damocles, any situation threatening imminent harm or disaster. 1