at daggers drawn
Ready for conflict
At daggers drawn describes a state of open hostility between people or groups, ready to fight at any moment.
The image is of opponents with daggers already unsheathed, poised to strike: The two families have been at daggers drawn for generations.
The phrase appears more in British than American English.
- feudingSustained hostile conflict
- hostileAggressively unfriendly
- enemiesHostile opposing parties
- sworn enemiesAdversaries committed to opposition
- rivalryOngoing contest between opponents
at each other's throats · conflict · bitter · tension · no love lost · grudge · animosity · vendetta · blood feud · quarrel · standoff · antagonism · enmity · clash · warring · on the warpath · adversaries · bad blood
- combat idiomsstab in the back, dodge a bullet, in the crosshairs, fire away, take a shot
at daggers drawnbest friends
Closest mutual companions
bosom buddies · thick as thieves · on good terms · hand in glove · in harmony
at daggers drawnreconciled
Restored to harmony
made up · buried the hatchet · mended fences · kissed and made up · let bygones be bygones