# give someone the chair

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/give-someone-the-chair
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

To sentence a person to execution by means of the electric chair.

## Examples

- The judge had to give the prisoner the chair.
- After the jury delivered a guilty verdict for the murder, the judge decided to give the prisoner the chair.
- In the final act of the historical drama, the cold-hearted judge sentenced the defendant to death and gave him the chair.

---

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.