Meaning of Idiom ‘Take Your (or one’s) Lumps’
To take your (or one’s) lumps means to suffer punishment, attack or defeat; to experience difficulty in one’s efforts, plans, or as part of one’s life. 1Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.,2Ammer, Christine. American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013.
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Examples Of Use
“If you want to succeed in this industry, you have to learn to take your lumps.”
“Look, said Marcy, I’ve taken my lumps just like the rest of you. I deserve some respect around here.”
“Growing up, I took my share of lumps,” said Peter, “but this last year has been the hardest yet.”
Origin
Used since at least the 1930s, this chiefly North American idiom alludes to a boxer being able to accept and tolerate punches, and thus lumps, or swellings, on his face or body. 3Heacock, Paul. Cambridge Dictionary of American Idioms]. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 2010.
More Idioms Starting with T
- There’s No Crying In Baseball: Meaning and Origin
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- Talking to a Brick Wall
- Take It Upon Oneself
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More Lump Idioms
More Take Idioms
- Take It Upon Oneself
- Take a Nosedive
- Like Taking Candy From a Baby
- It Takes Two to Tango
- Don’t Take Any Wooden Nickels