Vicious Circle
Preserved but no longer current.
A chain of circumstances, in which the solving of a problem creates a new problem which makes the original problem more difficult of solution.
một chuỗi tình huống, giải quyết vấn đề tạo ra vấn đề mới làm cho vấn đề ban đầu khó giải quyết hơn
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Era: ca. 1898 (Victorian)
Sources & notes
Reproduced from Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable (1898 edition, public domain; archive.org, retrieved 2026-07-31; OCR text, minor errors possible). Reflects the scholarship and attitudes of its era.
Common questions
What does “Vicious Circle” mean?
A chain of circumstances, in which the solving of a problem creates a new problem which makes the original problem more difficult of solution.
Is “Vicious Circle” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.