# taste of one's own medicine

idiom

Source: https://englishreference.com/idiom/taste-of-ones-own-medicine
Updated: 2026-08-10

## Meaning

Harsh treatment inflicted on one who previously inflicted similar or equivalent treatment on others.

## Examples

- He was rude, so he got a taste of his own medicine.
- After the manager spent all week criticizing our work, we gave him a taste of his own medicine by pointing out his mistakes.
- The bully finally received a taste of his own medicine when his peers began to mock his behavior with the same cruelty he had shown them.

---

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.