"Sophie's choice" meaning in English

{
  "etymology_text": "From the title of the book Sophie's Choice (1979), by William Styron, in which a mother is forced to decide which of her children will die.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Sophie's choices",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
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      "expansion": "Sophie's choice (plural Sophie's choices)",
      "name": "en-noun"
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  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
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          "name": "Terms with Czech translations",
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          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "Death",
          "orig": "en:Death",
          "parents": [
            "Body",
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            "All topics",
            "Nature",
            "Fundamental"
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          "source": "w"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2004 March 17, Bradley Graham, “Simulated Attacks Repelled In Antimissile War Game; U.S. Almost Exhausted Arsenal of Interceptors”, in Washington Post, page A03:",
          "text": "As things turned out, all the enemy missiles were destroyed in flight -- two were hit very early after launch by an airborne laser system -- and a Sophie's choice was averted.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004 March 2, “Committees OK boost for KidCare; Panels vote for additional $25M”, in Tallahassee Democrat:",
          "text": "We've been given a Sophie's Choice,' said Senate Minority Leader Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton. 'We can improperly care for some children vs. improperly care for other children.'",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A choice where every alternative has significant negative consequences."
      ],
      "id": "en-Sophie's_choice-en-noun-RsoTTg0p",
      "links": [
        [
          "choice",
          "choice"
        ],
        [
          "alternative",
          "alternative"
        ],
        [
          "negative",
          "negative"
        ],
        [
          "consequence",
          "consequence"
        ]
      ],
      "related": [
        {
          "word": "Hobson's choice"
        }
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "dilemma"
        },
        {
          "word": "difficult situation"
        }
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "choice where every alternative has significant negative consequences",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Sofiina volba"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "William Styron"
      ]
    }
  ],
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  "word": "Sophie's choice"
}

{
  "etymology_text": "From the title of the book Sophie's Choice (1979), by William Styron, in which a mother is forced to decide which of her children will die.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "Sophie's choices",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
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      },
      "expansion": "Sophie's choice (plural Sophie's choices)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "Hobson's choice"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
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        "English entries with incorrect language header",
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        "English nouns",
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        "English terms with quotations",
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        "Pages with 1 entry",
        "Pages with entries",
        "Terms with Czech translations",
        "en:Death"
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        {
          "ref": "2004 March 17, Bradley Graham, “Simulated Attacks Repelled In Antimissile War Game; U.S. Almost Exhausted Arsenal of Interceptors”, in Washington Post, page A03:",
          "text": "As things turned out, all the enemy missiles were destroyed in flight -- two were hit very early after launch by an airborne laser system -- and a Sophie's choice was averted.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2004 March 2, “Committees OK boost for KidCare; Panels vote for additional $25M”, in Tallahassee Democrat:",
          "text": "We've been given a Sophie's Choice,' said Senate Minority Leader Ron Klein, D-Boca Raton. 'We can improperly care for some children vs. improperly care for other children.'",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A choice where every alternative has significant negative consequences."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "choice",
          "choice"
        ],
        [
          "alternative",
          "alternative"
        ],
        [
          "negative",
          "negative"
        ],
        [
          "consequence",
          "consequence"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "word": "dilemma"
        },
        {
          "word": "difficult situation"
        }
      ],
      "wikipedia": [
        "William Styron"
      ]
    }
  ],
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  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "choice where every alternative has significant negative consequences",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Sofiina volba"
    }
  ],
  "word": "Sophie's choice"
}