Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

serve someone right

Word Rarity Uncommon

Frequency: Zipf frequency 4.76 in modern English

Syllables: serve -some-one right
IPA

26

Scrabble Score

17

Letters

3

Syllables

11

Unique Chars

Meaning

verb

Of an unpleasant event, to happen to someone who is thought to deserve it.

verb

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see serve, right.

Example Sentences

"What, now he wishes he hadn't voted for the Leopards Eating People's Faces Party? Serves him right!"
""And they counts my money and tickets, when I gets home, to see if I's got the change; and if I han't they half kills me." "And serves you right," said Jane, the pert chambermaid, "if you will take their money to get drunk on.""
"If my memory serves me right, we had a similar discussion a few months ago."

Inflected Forms

serves someone right (present, singular) serving someone right (participle, present) served someone right (participle, past) served someone right (past)

Phrases

damn right rightly so ask for it have it coming have it your way just deserts

Frequently Paired Words

arightly damn right righteously rightfully rightly rightly so ask for it have it coming

Questions

What does serve someone right mean?: Of an unpleasant event, to happen to someone who is thought to deserve it.

How to pronounce serve someone right

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “serve someone right”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling () so you know which sounds to aim for.
Play the audio — Click Play to hear reference audio for “serve someone right”.
Repeat and practice — Say “serve someone right” aloud, matching stress and vowels until it feels natural.