verb
mete
meet
verb
1
To mete out: to deal out or distribute something, especially punishment or reward.
"The judge meted out a harsh sentence for the crime."
"Rewards were meted out fairly among the team members."
How to Use Mete
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishTo hand out or distribute something, almost always used in the phrase "mete out" and almost always about punishment.
Common mistake
Almost always used as "mete out" — it’s rarely used on its own in modern English.
Common pairings
mete out punishment
mete out justice
Word Forms
meted past tense, metes plural, metes singular
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The judge _____ out a harsh sentence for the crime.
Etymology
From Old English metan ("to measure, mark off"), related to modern German messen ("to measure").