Idiom
sent to Coventry
Meanings
To be deliberately ignored and socially excluded by others as a punishment.
Definition
If someone is sent to Coventry, other people deliberately ignore them and refuse to speak to them as punishment.
To be sent to Coventry means to be deliberately excluded by a group, especially by being ignored and not spoken to. It is a form of social punishment, often after someone has upset others or broken rules. It is mainly used in British English and can describe both formal and informal situations.
Examples
- After he leaked the plan, he was sent to Coventry by the whole team.
- She felt awful being sent to Coventry for a joke that went too far.
- If you keep missing deadlines, you’ll be sent to Coventry in that office.
- He was sent to Coventry at the club, and nobody would even say hello.
Common mistake
Learners sometimes use this idiom to mean being physically sent to the city of Coventry, but it actually means being ignored and excluded.
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More idiom (verb phrase)s
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