Have an ax to grind Meaning in English
expression
HAV an AKS to GRYND
hav UN aks to GRYND
Definition
To have a personal reason, often hidden, for doing or saying something; to secretly want to benefit yourself.
Usage & Nuances
Idiom; informal and sometimes slightly negative, suggesting hidden or selfish motives. Common with 'seems to', 'doesn't', or questions ('Do you have an ax to grind?'). Not used for open, positive goals.
Spanish: tener un interés personal - tener un motivo ocultoPortuguese (BR): ter um interesse próprio - ter uma motivação ocultaPortuguese (PT): ter um interesse pessoal - ter uma motivação escondidaChinese (Simplified): 别有用心Chinese (Traditional): 別有用心Hindi: अपना स्वार्थ होनाArabic: له مصلحة شخصية - له دوافع خفيةBengali: নিজস্ব স্বার্থ থাকা - গোপন উদ্দেশ্য থাকাRussian: скрытый интерес - преследовать личную выгодуJapanese: 何か企みがある - 私的な目的があるVietnamese: có động cơ riêng - có ý đồ cá nhânKorean: 사적인 목적이 있다 - 숨겨진 의도가 있다Turkish: kişisel çıkarı olmak - gizli amacı olmakUrdu: ذاتی مقصد ہونا - ذاتی مفاد رکھناIndonesian: punya maksud tersembunyi - punya kepentingan pribadi
Example Sentences
He always seems to have an ax to grind when he talks about his coworkers.
basic
Do you have an ax to grind with the manager?
basic
She didn't realize Kim had an ax to grind when she offered advice.
basic
I think John has an ax to grind with the new policy changes.
natural
Be careful—sometimes people have an ax to grind that isn’t obvious at first.
natural
It sounded like the speaker had an ax to grind against the company.
natural