Red in tooth and claw
adjective
Describing nature as violent and competitive, where survival is difficult.
The natural world is not all beauty and sunlight, it's also red in tooth and claw.
Often appears as...
- nature is red in tooth and claw
- life is red in tooth and claw
Usage tips
Literary
adjective
Describing a situation or behavior as very aggressively competitive.
The business world can be red in tooth and claw, with companies constantly fighting for market share.
Often appears as...
- business is red in tooth and claw
- politics is red in tooth and claw
Usage tips
Idiomatic
adjective
Describing nature as violent and competitive, where survival is difficult.
The natural world is not all beauty and sunlight, it's also red in tooth and claw.
Often appears as...
- nature is red in tooth and claw
- life is red in tooth and claw
Usage tips
Literary
adjective
Describing a situation or behavior as very aggressively competitive.
The business world can be red in tooth and claw, with companies constantly fighting for market share.
Often appears as...
- business is red in tooth and claw
- politics is red in tooth and claw
Usage tips
Idiomatic
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Literary Origins
Originates from a Tennyson poem, indicating its strong literary history and potential expectation of literary knowledge.
Her fascination with poetry made her describe the wilderness as 'red in tooth and claw'.
Pro Tip 2/3Emotional Weight
Conveys a sense of visceral brutality inherent in nature, can elicit strong emotional response.
Watching the predator hunt, you truly grasp what 'red in tooth and claw' means.
Pro Tip 3/3Darwinian Echo
Echoes Darwin's ideas of natural selection, highlighting nature's unforgiving survival battles.
Nature documentaries showcase the 'red in tooth and claw' aspect of evolution.
Pro Tip 1/3Literary Origins
Originates from a Tennyson poem, indicating its strong literary history and potential expectation of literary knowledge.
Her fascination with poetry made her describe the wilderness as 'red in tooth and claw'.
Pro Tip 2/3Emotional Weight
Conveys a sense of visceral brutality inherent in nature, can elicit strong emotional response.
Watching the predator hunt, you truly grasp what 'red in tooth and claw' means.
Pro Tip 3/3Darwinian Echo
Echoes Darwin's ideas of natural selection, highlighting nature's unforgiving survival battles.
Nature documentaries showcase the 'red in tooth and claw' aspect of evolution.
Pro Tip 1/3Literary Origins
Originates from a Tennyson poem, indicating its strong literary history and potential expectation of literary knowledge.
Her fascination with poetry made her describe the wilderness as 'red in tooth and claw'.
Pro Tip 2/3Emotional Weight
Conveys a sense of visceral brutality inherent in nature, can elicit strong emotional response.
Watching the predator hunt, you truly grasp what 'red in tooth and claw' means.
Pro Tip 3/3Darwinian Echo
Echoes Darwin's ideas of natural selection, highlighting nature's unforgiving survival battles.
Nature documentaries showcase the 'red in tooth and claw' aspect of evolution.
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