a witch hunt
Meaning: A campaign to find and punish people, driven by fear or suspicion rather than evidence.
Language: English
Literally: (Already vivid in English)
Example: “The investigation into the leak turned into a witch hunt.”
Category: Daily Life
Origin: From the witch trials of the 16th and 17th centuries, including Salem in 1692. The figurative use became common with the anti-communist investigations in the United States in the 1950s, which Arthur Miller's play The Crucible (1953) compared to Salem.
Equivalents in other languages
- French: Une chasse aux sorcières — literally: A witch hunt
More idioms — Daily Life
- let's hit the road — Let's leave; let's get going.
- without fanfare — Quietly, without any publicity.
- a Herculean task — An extremely difficult job requiring huge effort.
- on the sidelines — Not taking an active part; left out.
- at full tilt — At full speed or with full force.
- my bad — My mistake; sorry.
More English idioms
- the lean years — A period of hardship and scarcity.
- worship the golden calf — To value money and wealth above everything.
- a poisoned chalice — Something that seems attractive but brings trouble to whoever accepts it.
- at the top of one's lungs — As loudly as possible.
- Captain Obvious — A mocking name for someone who states the obvious.
- think the moon is made of green cheese — To be very gullible.
From our proverbs
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