bringing down a peg
Reducing someone's pride
Bringing down a peg means humbling someone or deflating their self-importance.
The phrase comes from the pegs used to adjust tension on stringed instruments or to mark levels—lowering the peg reduces height or status.
Often appears as take down a peg or knock down a peg: That loss should bring him down a peg or two.
- embarrassCause social discomfort
- demoteLower someone's position
- humbleUnassuming about oneself
- dethroneRemove from sovereignty
- mortifyCause severe embarrassment
put in their place · deflate · chastise · depose · downgrade · diminish · correct · oust · shame · eat humble pie · puncture · unseat · rebuke · admonish · reprimand · devalue · dishearten · discredit
bringing down a pegpuffing up
Inflating or expanding
putting on a pedestal · building up · elevating · gassing up · hyping up
bringing down a pegelevating
Lifting to higher level
exalting · lauding · lionizing · glorifying · extolling
bringing down a pegpuffing up
Inflating or expanding
buttering up · brown-nosing · idolizing · deifying · venerating