1 A2 neutral
To serve or distribute food to people.
"He stood at the counter dishing out soup to the homeless shelter visitors."
separable
dish out
B1 informal separable transitive
To distribute or give out something, often in large amounts; also means to serve food.
In plain English
To give a lot of something to people, like food on a plate or criticism.
What does "dish out" mean?
3 meanings, ordered from most common to least. Color-coded by CEFR level.
2 B1 idiomatic informal
To give out criticism, punishment, or advice freely and often harshly.
"The coach was quick to dish out criticism but never praised the players."
“
He can dish it out, but he sure can't take it.
— Common idiom, widely attributed to various American films and political commentary of the 1930s–40s
separable
3 B1 idiomatic informal
To distribute money or resources to others.
"The government began dishing out emergency funds to flood victims."
separable
Literal vs figurative
Words literally mean
To take food off a dish and serve it out to others.
Actually means
To give a lot of something to people, like food on a plate or criticism.
Usage tip
Very common in both literal (food) and figurative (criticism, punishment, advice) senses. The figurative use often has a negative connotation — e.g. dishing out punishment. The phrase 'can dish it out but can't take it' is a fixed expression.
Words that pair with "dish out"
Natural word combinations native speakers use most often.
criticism punishment advice food money abuse
How to conjugate "dish out"
The five tense forms you'll use most often.
Base
dish out
I/you/we/they
3rd person
dishes out
he/she/it
Past simple
dished out
yesterday
Past participle
dished out
have + pp
-ing form
dishing out
continuous
Hear "dish out" in the wild
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Other ways to say "dish out"
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Keep exploring
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