- cut you down to size
- make you feel smaller; not as important
The foreman cut him down to size by calling him a laborer.
English Idioms. Sayings and slang .
cut you down to size
Look at other dictionaries:
cut someone down to size — cut (someone) down to size to criticize someone who you think is too confident in order to make them feel less confident or less proud. When he started he thought he knew everything, but we soon cut him down to size … New idioms dictionary
down to size — ◇ If people cut/bring (etc.) you down to size, they make you realize that you are not as powerful and important as you thought you were. He thinks he s so smart! I wish someone would cut him down to size. • • • Main Entry: ↑size … Useful english dictionary
cut down to size — cut (someone) down to size to criticize someone who you think is too confident in order to make them feel less confident or less proud. When he started he thought he knew everything, but we soon cut him down to size … New idioms dictionary
cut — cut1 W1S1 [kʌt] v past tense and past participle cut present participle cutting ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(reduce)¦ 2¦(divide something with a knife, scissors etc)¦ 3¦(make something shorter with a knife etc)¦ 4¦(remove parts from film etc)¦ 5¦(make a… … Dictionary of contemporary English
cut — 1 /kVt/ verb past tense and past participle cut present participle cutting 1 DIVIDE WITH KNIFE ETC (T) to divide something into two or more pieces using a sharp tool such as a knife: Do you want me to cut the cake? | The thieves had cut the phone … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
cut — cut1 [ kʌt ] (past tense and past participle cut) verb *** ▸ 1 use knife/sharp tool ▸ 2 have ability to cut ▸ 3 injure part of body ▸ 4 reduce/lower ▸ 5 on computer ▸ 6 stop something moving/working ▸ 7 make something shorter ▸ 8 divide playing… … Usage of the words and phrases in modern English
cut — [[t]kʌ̱t[/t]] ♦ cuts, cutting (The form cut is used in the present tense and is the past tense and past participle.) 1) VERB If you cut something, you use a knife or a similar tool to divide it into pieces, or to mark it or damage it. If you cut… … English dictionary
size — size1 W1S1 [saız] n ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ 1¦(how big)¦ 2¦(very big)¦ 3¦(clothes/goods)¦ 4 large sized/medium sized/pocket size etc 5 do something to size 6 that s about the size of it 7¦(paste)¦ ▬▬▬▬▬▬▬ [Date: 1100 1200; : Old French; Origin: assise … Dictionary of contemporary English
size — 1 /saIz/ noun 1 HOW BIG (C, U) how big or small something is: The American states vary enormously in size and population. | The firm underestimated the size of the market for their new product. | be the size of (=be the same size as): There were… … Longman dictionary of contemporary English
cut down — phrasal verb Word forms cut down : present tense I/you/we/they cut down he/she/it cuts down present participle cutting down past tense cut down past participle cut down 1) cut down something [intransitive/transitive] to reduce an amount of… … English dictionary
