serve someone right

serve someone right
serve someone right
(of something unpleasant) to be no more than deserved
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Main Entry:serve

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be someone's deserved punishment or misfortune

it would serve you right if Jeff walked out on you

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serve someone right — see serve, 1
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Main Entry:right
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serve (someone) right
— used to say that someone who has behaved badly deserves a particular punishment, problem, etc.

“I hear his wife is divorcing him.” “It serves him right after the way he's treated her.”

“He won't even talk to me.” “(It) Serves you right for lying to him.”

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Main Entry:serve

Useful english dictionary. 2012.

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Look at other dictionaries:

  • serve someone right — serve (someone) right if something bad that happens serves someone right, they deserve it. It would serve you right if your children never spoke to you again. And she didn t get the promotion she d hoped for, which served her right for being so… …   New idioms dictionary

  • serve someone right — ► serve someone right be someone s deserved punishment or misfortune. Main Entry: ↑serve …   English terms dictionary

  • serve someone right — tv. to be just what someone deserves. □ It would serve you right if you lost your money. □ He fell down. It serves him right …   Dictionary of American slang and colloquial expressions

  • serve someone right — be someone s deserved punishment or misfortune. → serve …   English new terms dictionary

  • serve someone right — (Roget s IV) v. Syn. deserve it, have it coming*, be fair, get one s dues, be rightly served, do justice to, do the right thing by, give the devil his due*; see also deserve …   English dictionary for students

  • serve you right — serve (you) right you deserve the punishment that you received. After the way she treated him, it would serve her right if he left her. Usage notes: often said with an attitude of pleasure because someone you do not like is suffering …   New idioms dictionary

  • serve one right — {v. phr.} To be what (someone) really deserves as a punishment; be a fair exchange for what (someone) has done or said or failed to do or say. * /He failed his exam; it served him right because he had not studied./ * /Bob said it served Sally… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • serve one right — {v. phr.} To be what (someone) really deserves as a punishment; be a fair exchange for what (someone) has done or said or failed to do or say. * /He failed his exam; it served him right because he had not studied./ * /Bob said it served Sally… …   Dictionary of American idioms

  • serve\ smb\ right — v. phr. To be what (someone) really deserves as a punishment; be a fair exchange for what (someone) has done or said or failed to do or say. He failed his exam; it served him right because he had not studied. Bob said it served Sally right when… …   Словарь американских идиом

  • serve somebody right — verb To happen to someone who is thought to deserve it. If my memory serves me right, we had a similar discussion a few months ago …   Wiktionary

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