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a piece of one's mind

a frank, critical opinion

In Idioms & Sayings

In more detail

(idiom) a strong and angry criticism or rebuke that you tell someone directly

Examples

• She gave him a piece of her mind when she found out he had lied to her.

How to use a piece of one's mind

This idiom is used when you want to describe expressing strong disapproval or anger directly to someone, typically in a confrontational manner. It suggests an unfiltered, blunt delivery of criticism rather than a measured or diplomatic response. The phrase is more common in spoken English and narrative contexts than in formal writing.

Register: informal

Common phrases

• give someone a piece of one's mind
• tell someone a piece of one's mind
• let someone have a piece of one's mind

Synonyms

a tongue-lashing · a dressing-down · a telling-off · an earful

A common mistake

Learners sometimes use 'piece of mind' (a homophone confusion with peace of mind), which changes the meaning entirely to emotional calm.

Nearby in Idioms & Sayings

under your nose, up in the air, wrap your head around, add fuel to the fire, back to square one, ballpark figure

Keep going

How to remember the words you read · Spaced repetition, explained