English-grammar-lessons.co.uk

menu

Pave the Road to Hell

What Does "Pave the Road to Hell" Mean?

homeidiomsPave the Road to Hell
"Pave the road to hell" is an English idiom. It means "to unintentionally make a situation worse or have negative consequences while attempting to do something good or helpful."

Examples in Sentences

Here are three examples of the idiom "pave the road to hell" used in a sentence:
  • Their well-intentioned intervention seemed to pave the road to hell, causing more problems than solutions.
  • Sometimes, good intentions can pave the road to hell if not carefully thought out.
  • They hoped their decision wouldn't pave the road to hell and create unintended problems.
meaning for pave the road to hell

What Is an Idiom?

An idiom is a commonly used expression whose meaning does not relate to the literal meaning of its words. In other words, if you were to translate "Pave the Road to Hell" word for word, there is no guarantee the translation would help you to understand the meaning.

An idiom often includes a cultural or historical context that makes it difficult for non-native English speakers to understand. A phrase is classified as an idiom when a direct translation of the words does not reveal the meaning. Most idioms rely on shared knowledge or experiences known only to a specific community.

A Quick Test

You now know what "pave the road to hell" means, but are you good at English idioms? Let's see!
gold cup
Gold

gold cup
Silver

gold cup
Bronze

  • This test has questions.
  • A correct answer is worth 5 points.
  • You can get up to 5 bonus points for a speedy answer.
  • Some questions demand more than one answer. You must get every part right.
  • Beware! Wrong answers score 0 points.
  • 🏆 If you beat one of the top 3 scores, you will be invited to apply for the Hall of Fame.
Scoring System

Guru (+)
Hero (+)
Captain (+)
Sergeant (+)
Recruit (+)
Help Us To Improve English Grammar Lessons
  • Do you disagree with something on this page?
  • Did you spot a typo?
Please tell us using this form.
Do you know your English idioms? idioms test

Take Our Test.

search icon

Search our idioms database. (We have 10,000+ idioms!)