as you make your bed, so you must lie in it

proverb

One will carry negative consequences of one's previous action(s).

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Meanings

proverb
  1. One will carry negative consequences of one's previous action(s).

    […]As you make your bed, so you must lie in it. If you educate mobs you must expect to have them, and make up your mind to consider them as a political engine not always under exact control.

    1902, James Russell Lowell, The Anti-slavery Papers of James Russell Lowell, page 104
    2 more examples

    The old women say to their daughters: "as you make your bed so you must lie in it;" and the same may we say to the ministers. They took to the Pitt inheritance without any complaint; and the people have a right to demand of them a complete responsibility for all the mischief that shall happen.

    1806, Cobbett's Political Register, page 527

    […][A]s you make your bed, so you must lie in it. The Lord can't be expected to let those prosper that forget Him. What mercy would it be to you if He did let you prosper by setting snares all church-time, as you were last Sunday, instead of going to church?

    1899, Charles Kingsley, The Works of Charles Kingsley...: Yeast. Poems, page 132

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
as you sow, so shall you reap

Translations

Czech jak si kdo ustele, tak si lehne
  • jak si kdo ustele, tak si lehneyou shall carry the burden of your poor preparation
French comme on fait son lit on se couche
  • comme on fait son lit on se coucheyou shall carry the burden of your poor preparation
German wie man sich bettet, so liegt man
  • wie man sich bettet, so liegt manyou shall carry the burden of your poor preparation
Greek όπως στρώσεις, θα κοιμηθείς
  • όπως στρώσεις, θα κοιμηθείς (ópos stróseis, tha koimitheís)you shall carry the burden of your poor preparation
Hungarian ki mint veti ágyát, úgy alussza álmát
  • ki mint veti ágyát, úgy alussza álmátyou shall carry the burden of your poor preparation
Polish jak sobie pościelesz, tak się wyśpisz
  • jak sobie pościelesz, tak się wyśpiszyou shall carry the burden of your poor preparation
Romanian cum îți așterni, așa dormi
  • cum îți așterni, așa dormiyou shall carry the burden of your poor preparation
Russian как посте́лешь, так и поспи́шь, сам ка́шу завари́л, сам и ку́шай
  • как посте́лешь, так и поспи́шь (kak postélešʹ, tak i pospíšʹ)you shall carry the burden of your poor preparation
  • сам ка́шу завари́л, сам и ку́шай (sam kášu zavaríl, sam i kúšaj)you shall carry the burden of your poor preparation
Swedish som man bäddar får man ligga
  • som man bäddar får man liggayou shall carry the burden of your poor preparation
Yiddish ווי דו וועסט דיך לייגן, אַזוי וועסטו שלאָפֿן
  • ווי דו וועסט דיך לייגן, אַזוי וועסטו שלאָפֿן (vi du vest dikh leygn, azoy vestu shlofn)you shall carry the burden of your poor preparation
Cite this entry
APA

as you make your bed, so you must lie in it. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/as%20you%20make%20your%20bed%2C%20so%20you%20must%20lie%20in%20it

MLA

“as you make your bed, so you must lie in it.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/as%20you%20make%20your%20bed%2C%20so%20you%20must%20lie%20in%20it. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “as you make your bed, so you must lie in it,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/as%20you%20make%20your%20bed%2C%20so%20you%20must%20lie%20in%20it.

Source: as you make your bed, so you must lie in it on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.