Idiom
sent to Coventry
Meanings
To be deliberately ignored and excluded by others, especially as punishment or in protest.
Definition
To be deliberately ignored and excluded by a group as a form of punishment.
If someone is sent to Coventry, other people intentionally refuse to speak to them or include them. It is a type of social punishment, often used after a disagreement or when someone has broken a rule. The person may still be physically present, but they are treated as if they do not exist.
Examples
- After he leaked the plan, he was sent to Coventry by the whole team.
- She joked about his mistake, and he sent her to Coventry for a week.
- If you keep missing deadlines, you’ll be sent to Coventry in this department.
- They sent him to Coventry after the argument, even at lunch.
- Once the rumor spread, she felt like she’d been sent to Coventry.
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