take (or grab) the bull by the horns

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Meaning · English

To deal bravely and decisively with a difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant situation; to deal with a matter in a direct manner, especially to confront a difficulty rather than avoid it.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

xử lý dũng cảm và quyết đoán tình huống khó khăn

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used Widespread English
Sources & notes

Imported from Wikipedia “English-language idioms” (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-29), pending review.

Common questions

What does “take (or grab) the bull by the horns” mean?

To deal bravely and decisively with a difficult, dangerous, or unpleasant situation; to deal with a matter in a direct manner, especially to confront a difficulty rather than avoid it.

Is “take (or grab) the bull by the horns” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.