Your Reputation Precedes You
“Your reputation precedes you” means the speaker has already heard about the person before meeting or dealing with them. The phrase does not by itself say whether that reputation is good or bad; tone and surrounding context supply the evaluation.
It means “I had already heard about you before you arrived/met me.” The reputation can be positive, negative, or teasing depending on context.
Key details
Further guidance
Contextual Examples
“Your reputation precedes you—everyone praised your training sessions.”
“So you’re the troubleshooter; your reputation precedes you.”
History Boundary
Current meaning is published without claiming a single inventor, exact coinage date, or absolute first use unless separately evidenced.
Meaning
the person’s reputation has arrived figuratively before the person because others have already heard about them
Meaning Boundary
The phrase is neutral about whether the prior reputation is positive or negative; tone and context supply that judgment.
Practical Use
Use “your reputation precedes you” when telling someone that you had already heard about them before meeting or dealing with them.
Tone Boundary
Can be warm, admiring, teasing, or ominous. If ambiguity could embarrass the person, say explicitly what you heard.
Usage Boundary
Do not automatically paraphrase it as praise. A speaker can use the phrase positively, negatively, or ironically.
Sources and evidence
Sources are shown with the role they play in this guide. Historical or style-sensitive claims are kept within the evidence boundary described above.
- Your reputation precedes you — Wiktionary (opens in a new tab)Wiktionary · Lexicographic attestation of the expression meaning the listener has already heard about the person, with evaluation determined by context.