eat dirt
Swallow your pride
To eat dirt is to accept humiliation or harsh treatment, often while forced to back down or submit: After the scandal broke, he had to eat dirt and apologize publicly.
The phrase suggests being brought so low you're face-down on the ground.
Sometimes used as a taunt: Eat dirt!
Withdraw from a stance
- capitulateYield under pressure
- yieldProduce or relinquish
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
- concedeAdmit something reluctantly
grovel · kowtow · accept · swallow · take it · knuckle under · cave in · give in
Painful awareness of failure
- degradationDecline in condition
- abasementState of being lowered
- mortificationIntense shame or embarrassment
- humblingDiminishing one's pride
indignity · disgrace · dishonor · belittlement · embarrassment · chagrin · inferiority · discomfiture
Insulting provocation
- mockeryScornful ridicule or travesty
- ridiculeContemptuous mocking treatment
- scornHostile dismissive feeling
- contemptDisdainful disregard
derision · sneering · jeering · put-down · disrespect · snub · affront · belittle
Having lost a contest
- trouncedDefeated decisively
- crushedCompressed into fragments
- demolishedCompletely destroyed a structure
- routedOverwhelmingly defeated
annihilated · thrashed · clobbered · drubbed · vanquished · outclassed · overpowered · bested
back down
Withdraw from a stance
- capitulateYield under pressure
- yieldProduce or relinquish
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
concede · grovel · kowtow · accept · swallow · take it · knuckle under · cave in · give in · bow down
shame
Painful awareness of failure
- degradationDecline in condition
- abasementState of being lowered
- mortificationIntense shame or embarrassment
humbling · indignity · disgrace · dishonor · belittlement · embarrassment · chagrin · inferiority · discomfiture · ignominy
taunt
Insulting provocation
- mockeryScornful ridicule or travesty
- ridiculeContemptuous mocking treatment
- scornHostile dismissive feeling
contempt · derision · sneering · jeering · put-down · disrespect · snub · affront · belittle · humiliate
beaten
Having lost a contest
- trouncedDefeated decisively
- crushedCompressed into fragments
- demolishedCompletely destroyed a structure
routed · annihilated · thrashed · clobbered · drubbed · vanquished · outclassed · overpowered · bested · whipped
eat dirthold one's head high
Feel no shame
walk tall · save face · have the last laugh · win the day · rub it in
eat dirtstand one's ground
Refuse to back down
stand your ground · hold firm · stand tall · fight back · stand firm
dirty, eat, dirt, eats, eating, eaten, uneaten, eatery, dirtied