藪蛇（やぶへび）
JLPT N1 · noun
Pitch accent: heiban (flat) — starts low, then stays high with no drop
Meaning: backfiring/making things worse for oneself
Example sentences
- よけいな質問がかえって藪蛇になる。 — The unnecessary question ended up backfiring on him.
- 藪蛇にならないよう慎重に言う。 — He chooses his words carefully so as not to make things worse.
Related words
See it used in real works
- Example sentences from Japanese novels & web fiction (Massif)
- Hear “藪蛇” pronounced in real videos (YouGlish)