Definition, Meaning & Synonyms

give someone a taste of their own medicine

idiom

/ɡɪv ˈsʌm.wʌn ə teɪst əv ðɛr oʊn ˈmɛd.ɪ.sɪn/

Definition

To treat someone in the same unpleasant way that they have treated others.

Examples

After constantly criticizing his friends for being late, Tom was surprised when they started making him wait.
She decided to give him a taste of his own medicine by ignoring his texts for a week.

Meaning

This phrase implies that a person is receiving a dose of the negative behavior they have inflicted on others, typically as a form of justice or retaliation.