Idiom
once bitten, twice shy
Meanings
A bad past experience makes someone more cautious or wary in the future.
Definition
If something bad happened before, you become more cautious the next time.
“Once bitten, twice shy” means that a negative experience makes you more careful in similar situations later. It suggests that people learn from being hurt, cheated, or disappointed and avoid taking the same risk again. It is often used to explain hesitation or distrust after a past problem.
Examples
- After that scam, he won’t invest online again—once bitten, twice shy.
- She’s hesitant to date a coworker because of a messy breakup before; once bitten, twice shy.
- I know I’m being cautious, but once bitten, twice shy.
- They double-check every contract now—once bitten, twice shy.