raw deal
Getting cheated badly
An unfair outcome or unjust treatment: She got a raw deal in the divorce settlement.
The phrase suggests someone received less than they deserved through no fault of their own.
Raw here carries its sense of harsh or unprocessed—a deal that hasn't been refined into something fair.
- shaftedUnfairly betrayed or cheated
- mistreatmentCruel or harmful behavior
- rough treatmentUnkind physical handling
- complaintExpression of discontent
- bum rapUnjust accusation, informally
got the shaft · screwed over · bad break · injustice · outrage · thrown under the bus · grievance · inequity · indignity · discrimination · insult · unfairness · exploitation · taken advantage of · slight · affront · short end of the stick · put-down
- setbacksfailing, back to square one, stuck, losing, stumbles
- unfairnessunfair, unjust, biased, unequal, inequitable
- bummersletdown, setback, downer, buzzkill, bad news
- food idiomspiece of cake, bread winner, low-hanging fruit, cool as a cucumber, bad egg
- injusticeinjustice, inequality, discrimination, bias, prejudice
- fortunelucky, luck, fortune, fate, destiny
raw dealsquare deal
Honest, equitable treatment
fair treatment · fair shake · equitable treatment · justice · fair play
raw deallucky break
Unforeseen favorable occurrence
windfall · good deal · sweet deal · stroke of luck · good fortune
deal, raw, dealer, dealing, dealt, deals, rawness, rawest, rawer