Definition & Meaning of "Come home to roost"

come home to roost

/wˈɒnz tʃˈɪkɪnz kˈʌm hˈəʊm tə ɹˈuːst/

/wˈʌnz tʃˈɪkɪnz kˈʌm hˈoʊm tə ɹˈuːst/

to come home to roost

PHRASE

to experience the negative consequences or effects of one's past actions or decisions

to [come] (home|back) to roost definition and meaning

What is the origin of the idiom "come home to roost" and when to use it?

The phrase "come home to roost" has its origin in the behavior of chickens, which return to their roosts or coops at night. In an idiomatic sense, it is used to describe the consequences of one's actions catching up with them, often with a negative implication that mistakes or misdeeds will have repercussions in the future.

curses, like chickens, come home to roost

/kˈɜːsɪz lˈaɪk tʃˈɪkɪnz kˈʌm hˈəʊm tə ɹˈuːst/

/kˈɜːsᵻz lˈaɪk tʃˈɪkɪnz kˈʌm hˈoʊm tə ɹˈuːst/

curses, like chickens, come home to roost

SENTENCE

used to suggest that the negative energy or harm one puts out into the world can return to them in some form