sell your soul

To abandon one's values or morals in return for some highly desired benefit, typically success, power, wealth, etc. I'm afraid we've sold our soul to the devil by agreeing to this partnership. It will keep us in business, but at what cost to our clients? Don't sell your soul to get to the top, or else you'll find yourself all alone there.

COMMON If someone sells their soul for something, they do whatever they need to in order to get that thing, doing things that they considered wrong before. As the Co-operative movement approaches its 150th anniversary, has it sold its soul to commercial pressures? Note: Sometimes people use the longer expression to sell your soul to the devil. His devoted fans thought he had sold his soul to the devil producing such commercial music. Note: There are many stories about people who sold their souls to the devil in return for wealth, success, or pleasure. The most famous is about Dr Faustus, whose story was first told in a book published in Germany in 1587, and later told by writers such as the English writer Marlowe and the German poet Goethe.