To have a monkey on your back means you are dealing with a serious problem or a strong addiction that is hard to get rid of or solve. It is like having a heavy burden that won’t leave you alone. For example, someone who is trying to quit smoking might say “I have a monkey on my back” to express how difficult it is to overcome their habit.
This idiom comes from the image of a person carrying an angry monkey around, but it has changed in meaning over time. It was first used in the 1800s to describe someone who was always angry or irritable, but later it became more associated with addiction problems, especially in the 1900s. There are also some possible connections to stories or symbols involving monkeys, such as Aesop’s fable about a monkey riding on a dolphin’s back, or the idea of the monkey as a representation of the devil or a distracted mind.
Some synonyms for this idiom are:
- Albatross around your neck
- Weight on your shoulders
- Cross to bear
- Bugbear
- Heavy load
