to get what's coming to someone
13
6.7
- idiom
- Informal
:
recibir lo que se merece
- Someday they'll get what's coming to them.
- guy got what's coming to him
- gonna get what's coming to you
- finally got what's coming to him
Examples
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But they always get what's coming to them eventually.
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Some would say she probably got what was coming to her.
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The old man got what was coming to him.
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I need you to just hold on a little bit, and I guarantee you will get what is coming to you.
-
He'll get what's coming to him.
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I hope she gets what's coming to her.
Blog text (34) -
I hope Victor gets what's coming to him.
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You're gonna get what's coming to you.
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And you're going to get what's coming to you.
Blog text (14) -
After all the wrongs he committed, I'm sure he will get what's coming to him soon.
Synonyms
∞
4.1
To suffer bad results because of your actions
965
1.0
To get a reaction such as praise or criticism
203
2.7
Face blame or punishment for something you did wrong
113
8.2
To be punished or scolded for something you did
12
6.8
To have problems later because of something you did before
9
7.7
Accept the bad result of something you did
8
6.0
To get the results of your actions, good or bad
8
6.4
To receive praise, criticism, or blame
To be punished for something you did wrong
Antonyms
How Severe
- Informal
13
6.7
203
2.7
- Informal
13
4.2
Surface Forms
Morphology
get + what's + coming + to + someone
The parts are compositionally related: 'get' = receive and 'what's coming to someone' = what is arriving to them, so a learner can infer they will receive something that is approaching. However, the conventionalized sense of 'deserved consequences or punishment' involves a metaphorical extension (what 'comes to' someone = what they deserve) that may not be fully predictable to a B1 learner without exposure.
Etymology
The idiom get what's coming to someone comes from the simple image of get and what's coming, something heading toward you like a visitor or a package arriving at your door. If you have done wrong, the bad thing comes to you, so the phrase means to receive the punishment or result you 'deserve'.