English Reference
Idiom idiom

serve someone right


To happen to someone who is thought to deserve it.

Meaning adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.


SIMPLE

He cheated on the test, so it serves him right.

CONTEXTUAL

She ignored all the safety warnings and got hurt, which really serves her right.

COMPLEX

After he spent years sabotaging his colleagues to get ahead, his sudden dismissal served him right in the eyes of the entire department.


Related idioms8entries
  1. 01

    all rights reserved

    The copyright holder of a creative work reserves all copyright-related rights, typically including the right to publish the work, to make derivative works of it, to distribute it, to make profit from it, to license a number of these rights to other people, and to forbid these uses by any unauthorized people, thus being entitled to take legal action against infringement.

  2. 02

    as if someone owns the place

    Alternative form of like someone owns the place.

  3. 03

    bang to rights

    Red-handed, (caught) in the act.

  4. 04

    beat someone round the ears

    To beat (a person) with blows about the head.

  5. 05

    bless someone with

    To give or bestow, as a gift from God.

  6. 06

    bragging rights

    The prerogative to praise oneself for a skill or accomplishment.

  7. 07

    bring someone to their knees

    To defeat and make submit to orders.

  8. 08

    call someone every name in the book

    To call someone many abusive names.

Last updated August 10, 2026