sent to Coventry
Given silent treatment
To be sent to Coventry is to be deliberately shunned or ignored by a group—excluded from conversation and social interaction as punishment or ostracism.
The phrase is primarily British: After he informed on his colleagues, they sent him to Coventry.
The origin is uncertain, but the idiom has meant social exile since at least the 18th century.
- English Civil War1640s British constitutional conflict
- silent treatmentRefusing to speak
- cold shoulderIntentional dismissive treatment
- banishmentForced removal from place
- alienationState of being isolated
shunning · cut off · ghosting · frozen out · blackballing · exile · freeze out · shut out · humiliation · boycott · labor disputes · resentment · marginalization · persona non grata · loneliness · rejection · non-verbal cues · avoidance
sent to Coventryembraced
Held someone warmly
included · accepted · integrated · befriended · celebrated
sent to Coventryacknowledged
Accepted as true
on speaking terms · recognized · noticed · heard · addressed
sent to Coventrycalled out
Vocally summoned or criticized
taken to task · told off · dressed down · challenged · rebuked