# dead meat

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/dead-meat
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Someone in danger of being killed or severely punished.

## Examples

- If you break that expensive vase, you are dead meat.
- The student knew he was dead meat when the teacher found the cheat sheet in his pocket.
- Realizing he had accidentally deleted the company's primary database, the intern understood he was dead meat once the manager returned.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.