cross the Rubicon
To make an irreversible decision or to take an action with consequencesTo make an irreversible decision or to take an action with consequences.
Meaning
1 senses(idiomatic)To make an irreversible decision or to take an action with consequences.
He knew that by coming out to his family he would be crossing the Rubicon, but he could not live a lie anymore.
den Rubikon überschreiten
перейти́ Рубиконperejtí Rubikon
перейти́ рубіко́нperejtý rubikón, переступи́ти рубіко́нperestupýty rubikón, перехо́дити рубіко́нperexódyty rubikón
Translations
8 languagesBy meaning 1
By meaning 1
By meaning 1
Origin
Refers to Julius Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon to wage civil war with Rome, on JanuaryRefers to Julius Caesar's crossing of the Rubicon to wage civil war with Rome, on January 10, 49 BCE, in violation of law. Suetonius' use of the phrase the die is cast in describing this act popularized the use of that phrase, which was first attributed to the Greek dramatist Menander.
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
crosses the Rubicon, crossing the Rubicon, crossed the Rubicon, crossed the Rubicon| Base form | cross the Rubicon · to cross the Rubicon |
|---|---|
| 3rd person singular | crosses the Rubicon |
| Present participle | crossing the Rubicon |
| Past simple | crossed the Rubicon |
| Past participle | crossed the Rubicon |
irregular
Word family
1 related wordsLessons for this word
3 lessons- A1Present simple — Because it is a verb
- A1Past simple, regular verbs — Because of its past form
- A2Present perfect: introduction — Because of its past participle
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.