Meanings
plural tastes of one's own medicine · alternative dose of one's own medicine
- idiomaticusually preceded by aHarsh treatment inflicted on one who previously inflicted similar or equivalent treatment on others.
Some stars reportedly even want to investigate the private lives of tabloid editors, to give them a taste of their own medicine.
2001 June 24, Richard Zoglin, “Hey, Wanna Buy Some Pix?”, in Time2 more examples
"The man's spirit is evil enough to frighten people away and we will drop stones upon him, so that he can learn the taste of his own medicine."
1916, Rex Ellingwood Beach, chapter 27, in Rainbow's EndThe Long Tom in the stern of the schooner opened fire . . . and two men were seen to go down. The captain laughed. "That's a taste of their own medicine," he said.
1919, Joseph A. Altsheler, chapter 5, in The Sun Of QuebecSynonyms: taste of one's own poison
Synonyms & antonyms
nounHarsh treatment inflicted on one who previously inflicted similar or equivalent treatment on others.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin but see 以其人之道，還治其人之身 /以其人之道, 还治其人之身
- but see 以其人之道，還治其人之身 /以其人之道harsh treatment
- 还治其人之身 (yǐ qí rén zhī dào, huán zhì qí rén zhī shēn)harsh treatment
Czech spadnout do vlastní jámy
- spadnout do vlastní jámyharsh treatment
Dutch koekje van eigen deeg
- koekje van eigen deegharsh treatment
Finnish but see maistaa omaa lääkettään
- but see maistaa omaa lääkettäänharsh treatment
French but see rendre la pareille, rendre la monnaie de sa pièce
- but see rendre la pareilleharsh treatment
- rendre la monnaie de sa pièceharsh treatment
- récolter ce que l'on a seméharsh treatment
German but see mit gleicher Münze, am eigenen Leib spüren
- but see mit gleicher Münzeharsh treatment
- am eigenen Leib spürenharsh treatment
- am eigenen Leib erfahrenharsh treatment
Hungarian but see egye meg, amit főzött
- but see egye meg, amit főzöttharsh treatment
Icelandic but see í sömu mynt
- but see í sömu myntharsh treatment
Irish tomhas a láimhe féin
- tomhas a láimhe féinharsh treatment
Italian pan per focaccia
- pan per focacciaharsh treatment
Polish but see na własnej skórze
- but see na własnej skórzeharsh treatment
Slovak spadnúť do vlastnej jamy
- spadnúť do vlastnej jamyharsh treatment
Spanish dosis de su propia medicina, cucharada de su propia medicina
- dosis de su propia medicinaharsh treatment
- cucharada de su propia medicinaharsh treatment
- dar el medio vueltoharsh treatment
Swedish få smaka på sin egen medicin
- få smaka på sin egen medicinharsh treatment
Ukrainian відчути на власній шкурі
- відчути на власній шкурі (vidčuty na vlasnij škuri)harsh treatment
Cite this entry
taste of one's own medicine. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taste%20of%20one's%20own%20medicine
“taste of one's own medicine.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taste%20of%20one's%20own%20medicine. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “taste of one's own medicine,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/taste%20of%20one's%20own%20medicine.
Source: taste of one's own medicine on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.