take down a peg: meaning & examples

Meanings:

• 1.

  General English (US, UK, etc.)informalcolloquial
  • To humble someone or reduce their arrogance by diminishing their pride, reputation, or standing.
  • To lower someone's self‑importance or to subject them to a humiliating correction.

  Examples

  Beta

  • When Tom started acting too cocky, his friends decided to take him down a peg by teasing him about his last failure.

    Cuando Tom empezó a actuar muy arrogante, sus amigos decidieron bajarle los humos burlándose de su último fracaso.

  • You shouldn’t take people down a peg in public; it’s better to address their arrogance privately.

    No deberías humillar a las personas en público; es mejor tratar su arrogancia en privado.

  • The boss took him down a peg by reminding him that no one is indispensable at the company.

    El jefe lo bajó de su pedestal recordándole que nadie es indispensable en la empresa.

  • After winning the award, she was taken down a peg by the media questioning the fairness of the selection process.

    Después de ganar el premio, la prensa le bajó los humos cuestionando la imparcialidad del proceso de selección.