have someone's head

verb

To punish someone severely, as by sacking (firing), imprisonment, or similarly harsh penalties.

“The tyrant would have their heads for their temerity.”

Similar
have someone's guts for gartershave someone's hidetan someone's hideamercecastigatechastenchastisecome down on
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Meanings

verbhave someone's head (third-person singular simple present has someone's head, present participle having someone's head, simple past and past participle had someone's head)

present singular third person has someone's head · participle present having someone's head · participle past had someone's head · past had someone's head

  1. figurativelyidiomaticTo punish someone severely, as by sacking (firing), imprisonment, or similarly harsh penalties.

    The boss will have his head for losing the biggest customer over a mistake.

    Synonyms: have someone's guts for garters, have someone's hide, tan someone's hide, amerce, castigate, chasten, chastise, come down on

  2. literalTo kill somebody, especially with violence and especially by decapitation.

    The tyrant would have their heads for their temerity.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo punish someone severely, as by sacking (firing), imprisonment, or similarly harsh penalties.

Similar
have someone's guts for gartershave someone's hidetan someone's hideamercecastigatechastenchastisecome down oncorrectfix someone's wagonhave someone's guts for gartershave someone's hidegive it to someonegive someone what forgive what forgruelmalavoguenail someone to the wallpenalize
Also see
amercechastenchastisecorrectfix someone's wagongive it to someonegive what forgruelhave someone's guts for gartershave someone's hidenail someone to the wallpenalizepenancepunishtan someone's hidetar outteach someone a lesson
Cite this entry
APA

have someone's head. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20someone's%20head

MLA

“have someone's head.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20someone's%20head. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have someone's head,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20someone's%20head.

Source: have someone's head on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.