have it coming

English

Pronunciation

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Verb

have it coming (third-person singular simple present has it coming, present participle having it coming, simple past and past participle had it coming)

1. (idiomatic) To deserve or merit, as the consequences of one's actions.
   • 1940 Feb. 5, "Manufacturing: Done with Mirrors," Time:

     He was on his first vacation in ten years and he figured he had it coming to him.

   • 2007 April 8, Ruth Dudley Edwards. "Kissinger on Black list of witnesses for the defence," Irish Independent (retrieved 24 Jan. 2010):

     Although one might baulk at giving an 83-year-old a hard time, this particular 83-year-old has it coming.

Translations

to deserve or merit

• German: es verdient haben
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}

See also

• just deserts
• karma
• payback
• poetic justice
• serve someone right