hand someone his head

idiom

The phrase "hand someone his head" is a vivid idiom used to describe overwhelming defeat or severe reprimand, often implying total domination or harsh criticism.

🇺🇸 US Voice:

🇬🇧 UK Voice:

Definition

C1General

(informal, idiomatic)To defeat someone completely, often in a competitive or confrontational situation.

Example

In the debate, she handed him his head with her well-researched arguments.

C1General

(informal, idiomatic)To criticize or reprimand someone harshly.

Example

The boss handed him his head for missing the deadline.

Similar

Terms that have similar or relatively close meanings to "hand someone his head":

hand it to hand over have someone's head take someone's head off let someone have it give someone a hand hand down hand out turn someone's head over the head hand off on one's head throw hands go to someone's head off one's head give it to someone give someone the business have one's head read lose one's head deal a hand