sell one's soul to the devil

Meaning: To give up one's principles in exchange for money, power or success.

Example: “Critics say the band sold their soul to the devil when they wrote that car commercial jingle.”

Origin: From the old legend of a pact with the devil, best known through the story of Faust, which Christopher Marlowe dramatized in Doctor Faustus (around 1592).

Equivalents in other languages

French: Vendre son âme au diable Literally: To sell one's soul to the devil

More English idioms

eat humble pie To admit one was wrong and apologize humbly.
year in, year out Continually, every year without change.
sign one's own death warrant To do something that will cause one's own ruin.
child's play Something very easy to do.
at death's door Very close to dying, or feeling extremely ill.
play devil's advocate To argue against something, not out of belief, but to test the argument.

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Equivalents in other languages

More idioms — The Absurd

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