chickens come home to roost

proverb/ˈtʃɪkɪnz kʌm həʊm tə ruːst/ 🔊 listen

Chickens come home to roost is an English proverb meaning that the bad things someone has done will eventually come back to affect them. Past wrongs or mistakes catch up with you in the end.

📖 Meanings

1your bad actions eventually come back to harm you
"He lied for years, and now his chickens have come home to roost." — He lied for years, and now the consequences have caught up with him.
2past mistakes catch up with you in the end
"Ignoring the warnings, the chickens came home to roost." — He ignored the warnings, and in the end it caught up with him.

🔄 Related proverbs

what goes around comes around →you reap what you sow →karma catches up →

💬 Common patterns

chickens come home to roostthe chickens have come home to roostcome home to roost
❓ Which proverb says bad actions eventually come back to you?