student asking question

What does "reputation proceeds you" mean? In what circumstances can I use it?

teacher

Native speaker’s answer

Rebecca

Very good question. If we break this phrase down we can figure it out easily. "Precede" means to come before something, and "reputation" means the beliefs or opinions held about someone or something. So, if "your reputation precedes you", it literally means people have heard things about you before they actually meet you. These things can be positive or negative as the phrase itself is neutral outside of context. They can also be true or false for that matter. Sometimes, people’s reputations are based on gossip and rumors. Ex: I've heard all about how kind and helpful you are. Your reputation precedes you. Ex: His reputation precedes him. I heard that he is very boring, and kind of mean.

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