hang over someone's head

Verb

hang over someone's head (third-person singular simple present hangs over someone's head, present participle hanging over someone's head, simple past and past participle hung over someone's head)

1. (idiomatic) To threaten (someone); to act as a constant preoccupation for (someone).
   • Lord Justice Roskill delivered the decision of the three justices, upholding the fines against the paper and editor Lemon. The justices also granted court costs to anti-gay crusader Mary Whitehouse, the person who brought the suit against the paper. A prison sentence hanging over Lemon's head was...1978 April 15, “London's Gay News Loses Blasphemy Appeal”, in Gay Community News, page 3
   • So Congress enacted a statute, the net effect of which is to hinge the freedom to speak on the speaker’s willingness to run the gauntlet of post hoc value assessments by prosecutors and juries with a five year felony sentence hanging over his head.2010, Patricia A. Millett et al., United States v. Stevens, Respondent's brief, page 22