serve someone right

verb

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

“If my memory serves me right, we had a similar discussion a few months ago.”

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Meanings

verbserve someone right (third-person singular simple present serves someone right, present participle serving someone right, simple past and past participle served someone right)

present singular third person serves someone right · participle present serving someone right · participle past served someone right · past served someone right

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

    What, now he wishes he hadn't voted for the Leopards Eating People's Faces Party? Serves him right!

    1 more example

    "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."

    1851 June – 1852 April, Harriet Beecher Stowe, “Chapter XVIII”, in Uncle Tom’s Cabin; or, Life among the Lowly, volume (please specify |volume=I or II), Boston, Mass.: John P[unchard] Jewett & Company; Cleveland, Oh.: Jewett, Proctor & Worthington, published 20 March 1852, →OCLC
  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see serve, right.

    If my memory serves me right, we had a similar discussion a few months ago.

Translations

Arabic يخدم لكم الحق
  • يخدم لكم الحقserves you right!
Chinese Cantonese 抵死, 抵死
  • 抵死 (dai² sei²)happen to someone who deserves it
  • 抵死 (dai² sei²)serves you right!
Chinese Mandarin 活該 /活该, 活該 /活该
  • 活該 /活该 (huógāi)happen to someone who deserves it
  • 活該 /活该 (huógāi)serves you right!
Czech komu patřit
  • komu patřitserves you right!
Dutch zijn verdiende loon
  • zijn verdiende loonhappen to someone who deserves it
Finnish olla jollekin oikein, ihan oikein sinulle
  • olla jollekin oikeinhappen to someone who deserves it
  • ihan oikein sinulleserves you right!
French cheh, bien fait !
  • chehhappen to someone who deserves it
  • bien fait !serves you right!
German jemandem recht geschehen, verdient haben
  • jemandem recht geschehenhappen to someone who deserves it
  • verdient habenhappen to someone who deserves it
  • geschieht dir recht!serves you right!
Greek καλά να πάθεις, καλά να πάθετε
  • καλά να πάθεις (kalá na pátheis)serves you right!
  • καλά να πάθετε (kalá na páthete)serves you right!
Hungarian megérdemli, úgy kell neki
  • megérdemlihappen to someone who deserves it
  • úgy kell nekihappen to someone who deserves it
  • megérdemled!serves you right!
  • úgy kell neked!serves you right!
Italian ti sta bene!, ti sta come un vestito nuovo
  • ti sta bene!serves you right!
  • ti sta come un vestito nuovoserves you right!
Japanese 様を見ろ！
  • 様を見ろ！ (zama-o miro!)serves you right!
Malay padan muka!
  • padan muka!serves you right!
Māori kaitoa!
  • kaitoa!serves you right!
Polish należeć się, dobrze ci tak
  • należeć sięhappen to someone who deserves it
  • dobrze ci takserves you right!
  • masz, na co zasłużyłeś/zasłużyłaśserves you right!
  • sam/sama jesteś sobie winien/winnaserves you right!
Portuguese (ser) bem feito para object, bem feito!
  • (ser) bem feito para objecthappen to someone who deserves it
  • bem feito!serves you right!
Romanian așa îți trebuie!, bine îți face!
  • așa îți trebuie!serves you right!
  • bine îți face!serves you right!
  • bine ți-a făcut!serves you right!
Russian подело́м тебе́!, так тебе́ и на́до!
  • подело́м тебе́! (podelóm tebé!)serves you right!
  • так тебе́ и на́до! (tak tebé i nádo!)serves you right!
  • сам винова́т! (sam vinovát!)serves you right!
  • сама́ винова́та! (samá vinováta!)serves you right!
Spanish habérselo merecido, habérselo buscado
  • habérselo merecidohappen to someone who deserves it
  • habérselo buscadohappen to someone who deserves it
  • estarle bien empleadohappen to someone who deserves it
  • ¡te está bien empleado!serves you right!
Swedish vara rätt åt någon, rätt åt (någon)
  • vara rätt åt någonhappen to someone who deserves it
  • rätt åt (någon)serves you right!
Thai สมน้ำหน้า
  • สมน้ำหน้า (sǒm-nám-nâa)serves you right!
Ukrainian бути по заслузі, коту́зі по заслу́зі
  • бути по заслузі (buty po zasluzi)happen to someone who deserves it
  • коту́зі по заслу́зі (kotúzi po zaslúzi)serves you right!
  • так тобі і треба (tak tobi i treba)serves you right!
Cite this entry
APA

serve someone right. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/serve%20someone%20right

MLA

“serve someone right.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/serve%20someone%20right. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “serve someone right,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/serve%20someone%20right.

Source: serve someone right on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.