Reap the whirlwind
Suggest a CorrectionMeaning
Suffer greatly amplified and often destructive consequences of one's own actions. More severe than reap what you sow: the whirlwind suggests consequences intensified beyond the initial act. Regional use: Early modern English Bible tradition; now international English.
Origin
Hosea 8:7 in the King James Bible says, 'they have sown the wind, and they shall reap the whirlwind'. The agricultural cause-and-harvest structure was present in earlier English biblical translation, while the 1611 wording became especially memorable. The shortened modern phrase normally retains the warning that reckless beginnings produce consequences far worse than expected.
Research Sources
Variants
- Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind
- They that sow the wind shall reap the whirlwind
- Reaping the whirlwind
Usage Examples
- After years of hiding maintenance failures, the company began to reap the whirlwind.
- Leaders who encourage contempt may eventually reap the whirlwind.
- The rushed deregulation sowed the wind, and local customers reaped the whirlwind.