skating on thin ice
Courting serious trouble
Skating on thin ice means taking a dangerous risk or being in a precarious position where continued behavior could lead to serious consequences.
The image is of literal thin ice that might crack at any moment: You're skating on thin ice with that attitude.
Often used as a warning that someone's actions are pushing the limits of what will be tolerated.
- riskyInvolving possible harm
- risky businessVenture with uncertain outcome
- playing with fireEngaging in reckless behavior
- perilousFraught with danger
- dangerousApt to cause harm
living dangerously · precarious · hazardous · high stakes · dilemma · gamble · dice roll · pushing your luck · rink · idiom · calculation · exposure · instability · figure of speech · blade · foresight · glide · recklessness
- Precariousnessprecarious, unstable, teetering, tottering, wobbly
- Risk-Takingplaying with fire, rolling the dice, taking chances, living on the edge, going for broke
- Cold Expressionsfreezing cold, bitter cold, bone-chilling, cold snap, cold spell
- risk phrasestake a chance, take a gamble, risk it all, go for broke, roll the dice
skating on thin iceplaying it safe
Avoiding unnecessary risk
on solid ground · out of harm's way · in the clear · safe and sound · out of danger
skating on thin iceerring on the side of caution
Preferring safety over risk
playing it safe · hedging one's bets · looking before one leaps · staying in one's lane · toeing the line
skating on thin iceon solid ground
out of the woods · in the clear · home free · sitting pretty · out of harm's way
skate, skated, skater, skaters, skates, thin, thinner, thinnest, thinly