# raw deal

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/raw-deal
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

A situation in which a person is taken advantage of or treated unfairly; a situation in which a person is led to expect something, but receives either nothing or much less than was expected.

## Examples

- He got a raw deal when they fired him without any warning.
- After working overtime for months without extra pay, she felt she received a raw deal from her manager.
- The community felt they had been given a raw deal by the local government, which promised new schools but delivered only empty plots of land.

---

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.