Meaning & use
my own worst enemy
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Meaning
phraseidiom
Said of someone whose own behavior or thoughts cause them more trouble than other people do.
Grammar: Used after 'be' with a possessive word: I am my own worst enemy. The possessive changes with the subject.
Patterns
- be your own worst enemy
- someone is their own worst enemy
I keep putting off the exam revision, so I'm my own worst enemy.
She is her own worst enemy: she panics and then makes silly mistakes.
If you never ask for help, you'll be your own worst enemy.
Common combinations
- be your own worst enemy
- Stop doubting yourself — you're your own worst enemy.
- his own worst enemy
- He is his own worst enemy when it comes to saving money.
- I am my own worst critic
- I'm my own worst critic, always finding faults in my work.
Synonyms and how they differ
- be your own worst critic
- Similar but narrower: it is about judging yourself harshly rather than harming your own interests.
- shoot yourself in the foot
- Informal and describes one specific self-destructive act, not a general habit.
Commonly confused: my own worst enemy or worst enemy?
my own worst enemy vs worst enemy
Without a possessive, 'worst enemy' means the person who hates you most; the idiom needs 'my/your/his own' to point back at yourself.
Practice
Complete the sentence: 'By refusing every offer of help, Tom ______.'
Choose one answer.
The possessive must match the subject Tom, so 'his own worst enemy' is correct. 'My own' would refer to the speaker, and 'own' cannot stand alone without a possessive word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “my own worst enemy”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.