necessary evil | Idiomator

Meaning: (idiomatic)Anunfavorablethingthat must bedoneoraccepted, especially because the available alternativecourses of actionorinactionwould beworse.Another punishing round of chemo is anecessary evilif Lisa is to have a fighting chance against the cancer.My boss is a real piece of work, but my kids make keeping this job anecessary evil.

Examples:

EN: I ain't a man who believes in taxes, but I can see they're a necessary evil.
ES: No me gustan los impuestos, pero son un mal necesario.
EN: I must remember that committee is a necessary evil.
ES: Un comité es un mal necesario.
EN: I understand they're a necessary evil.
ES: Entiendo que son un mal necesario.
EN: It's just that it's a necessary evil.
ES: Es sólo que es un mal necesario.
EN: Sheer population is a necessary evil.
ES: La población es un mal necesario.
EN: - Sometimes, it's a necessary evil.
ES: -A veces hay que recurrir a él.
EN: I know this affair is a necessary evil. But must it go on indefinitely?
ES: ¿Durará mucho este mal necesario?
EN: To people like you, education is a necessary evil.
ES: Para la gente como usted, la educación es un demonio necesario.
EN: Unfortunately, war is a necessary evil.
ES: Desgraciadamente, la guerra es un mal necesario.
EN: Aw, it's a necessary evil.
ES: Emm... Es un mal necesario.
EN: - I guess it was a necessary evil, huh?
ES: - Adivino que fue un mal necesario, ¿eh?
EN: It's a necessary evil In the literary world.
ES: Es un mal necesario en el mundo literario.
EN: There is such a thing as a necessary evil, my child.
ES: Hay males que son necesarios, hija mía.
EN: It doesn't admit that people-- well, pilots-- being exposed to danger in battle is a necessary evil of warfare.
ES: No admite que las personas-- bueno, pilotos-- deban ser expuestos al peligro en las batallas como un mal necesario de las guerras.
EN: Which brings to mind the phrase "necessary evil".
ES: Lo que trae a la mente la expresión: "mal necesario".

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