One word for an ability that is self-destructive

single-word-requests word-formation synonyms

"The scientist's brilliance turned out to be a double-edged sword for him."

Neither an adjective nor an adverb, this idiom seems to fit perfectly.

From TFD - "something that causes both advantages and problems."

From MW "something that has or can have both favorable and unfavorable consequences"

  • "His great intelligence was a real double-edged sword because he never felt he could communicate with ordinary people." - TFD

  • "This much freedom of expression and opinion can be a double-edged sword." - MW

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