C1idiominformalsuccessIELTS-friendly
shoot yourself in the foot
USUK
to do something that harms your own chances or plans
'Yourself' changes to himself, themselves and so on. British English also says 'score an own goal'.
In context
By arriving late to the interview, he really shot himself in the foot.
If you raise prices now, you'll shoot yourself in the foot.
More idioms about success
- a blessing in disguisesomething that seems bad at first but later brings a good result
- a close calla situation in which you only just avoid danger or failure
- a dream come truesomething you have wanted for a long time that has finally happened
- a feather in your capan achievement that you can be proud of and that may help you later
- a flash in the pana sudden success that does not last or happen again