English · Slang Attested

take one's lumps

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To receive physical abuse and to survive.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

chịu đòn và sống sót

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

When frustrated tacklers finally do catch up with him, Arnett knows how to take his lumps. "If I hit the ground tensely, rigidly, and two tons of angry linemen landed on top of me, they'd break every bone in my body."

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Both English Tiếng Việt

Meaning · English

To endure through criticism or other adversity.

Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt

Chịu đựng sự chỉ trích hoặc khó khăn khác

Machine-translated — suggest a fix

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “take one's lumps” mean?

To receive physical abuse and to survive.

Is “take one's lumps” formal or informal?

take one's lumps is generally slang.

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