Phrasal verb
dish out
Definition
phrasal verb. to give things to a lot of people, or to give out a lot of something like advice or criticism.
phrasal verb. to distribute something, often in large quantities or in a casual, indiscriminate manner; frequently used figuratively for non-material things like punishment or opinions.
Examples
“The teacher started to dish out the exam papers.”
“He is always happy to dish out advice, even when nobody asks him for it.”
“The judge was known for dishing out harsh sentences to repeat offenders to deter further criminal activity in the city.”
Examples
simple
“The teacher started to dish out the exam papers.”
contextual
“He is always happy to dish out advice, even when nobody asks him for it.”
complex
“The judge was known for dishing out harsh sentences to repeat offenders to deter further criminal activity in the city.”
Usage
often used when the speaker thinks the distribution is excessive or careless.
Teaching tip
the literal origin refers to serving food from a large dish; use this image to help students understand the 'giving out' motion.
Pitfall
He dished the advice out.
He dished out the advice.
while technically optional, 'dish out' is most commonly used as a unit before the object, especially with abstract nouns.
Phrasal verb
Particles
out
Separability
optional
Pattern
dish + out + object
Synonyms
Antonyms
Grammar
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/dish-out