on the receiving end

Idioms

In the situation of recipient, especially of something unpleasant, as in It seems I'm always on the receiving end of his bad moods. [c. 1930]

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

She claimed she did not have a good relationship with Behr, and had "been on the receiving end of some not very pleasant behaviour".

From BBC

"Not just for John or those who have the tics, but for those who are on the receiving end of it, because obviously it's involuntary."

From BBC

In Saturday's game, Mejbri was on the receiving end of the foul that earned Wesley Fofana his first yellow card, before the Chelsea defender was later sent off for a second bookable offence.

From BBC

India, a country of 1.4 billion people, is worried that it will be on the receiving end of disruptions stemming from global AI adoption.

From The Wall Street Journal

Some people who don’t expect an inheritance might feel wistful or even sad about their financial prospects, especially when relatives and friends are on the receiving end.

From MarketWatch

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023