come down hard on (someone or something)

come down hard on (someone or something)

1. To treat someone strictly or with severe reproach. I know I didn't do well on the exam, but I didn't expect my dad to come down so hard on me about it—he grounded me for a month! It was a mistake, so don't come down hard on him, OK? Man, the boss is really gonna come down hard on us when he finds out we lost that big account.

2. To fall and land heavily on something, often a body part. Is she OK? She really came down hard on her knee. I came down hard on my back and couldn't breathe for a few minutes there. I did come down hard on my wrist, but I don't think anything's broken, thank goodness.

See also: come, down, hard, on

Farlex Dictionary of Idioms. © 2024 Farlex, Inc, all rights reserved.

come down hard on someone

in. to scold someone; to punish someone severely. Joe’s parents came down hard on him when they learned he had been suspended from school.

See also: come, down, hard, on, someone

McGraw-Hill's Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions Copyright © 2006 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved.