Interactions - Mistreatment & Misconduct

Explore English idioms that relate to mistreatment and misconduct, including "backhanded compliment" and "play fast and loose with".

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Interactions

to act toward a person or thing without enough care, seriousness, or sense of responsibility

Ex: She played fast and loose with her friend 's emotions , leading them on without any genuine commitment .

to not value a person or thing as one should

Ex: The coach sold the underdog team short , not expecting them to win the championship .

to put the blame on the person who brings bad news and assume they are responsible for it

Ex: The teacher had to deliver the disappointing test scores to the students , and some of them wanted to kill the messenger by blaming her for the low grades .

to not care about someone at all or have absolutely no respect for them

Ex: Despite her dedication and hard work , her supervisor continued to treat her like dirt , constantly belittling her efforts .

to look at a person in a way that shows one hates them or is very angry with them

Ex: The teacher caught the students passing notes in class and looked daggers at them to signal their disruptive behavior was not acceptable .

to seriously affect or harm someone or something, usually resulting in negative consequences

Ex: After a series of personal setbacks , he admitted that life had done a number on his confidence and self-esteem .

to stop someone from complaining or protesting by offering them something that is not of very high value or importance

Ex:

to tell a person to leave immediately in a forceful manner

Ex: The homeowners were tired of the noisy neighbors and finally decided to send them packing by reporting their disruptive behavior to the authorities .

to be dismissed or expelled from a place, job, or position

Ex: When the company went bankrupt , everyone was out on their ear , left without a job or a paycheck .

to refuse to help someone when they need it the most

Ex: She promised to help with the event , but she canceled at the last minute , leaving us in the lurch and scrambling to find a replacement .