albatross around one's neck

English - English

Definition of albatross around one's neck in English English dictionary

something that one is associated with that keeps one from succeeding in what they want to achieve

He bought the properties last year hoping to make a profit out of reselling them; however, with the economic downturn, they have now become an albatross around his neck.

great load of guilt that becomes an obstruction to success

Hyphenation

al·ba·tross a·round one's neck

Turkish pronunciation

älbıträs ıraun wʌnz nek

Pronunciation

/ˈalbəˌträs ərˈoun ˈwənz ˈnek/ /ˈælbəˌtrɑːs ɜrˈaʊn ˈwʌnz ˈnɛk/

Etymology

() Originated from an old maritime tale that killing an albatross brings bad luck and subsequently wrapping it around the killer's neck signifies the curse. Nowadays, people more often refer to the latter (the punishment) as the cause of the bad luck rather than the former.