just deserts

English

Noun

just deserts (plural only)

1. (idiomatic) A punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved.

   It may appear that they're getting ahead by cheating, but they'll get their just deserts in the end.

Usage notes

• Deserts here is the plural of desert, meaning "that which one deserves". "Desert" is now archaic and rarely used outside this phrase.
• The spelling just desserts is non-standard. It is sometimes used as a pun in, for example, restaurant names.

Synonyms

• payback, poetic justice, comeuppance

Translations

a punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved

• French: dû (fr)
• Portuguese: ter o que merece

• Russian: справедливое наказание (spravedlivoje nakazanije), по заслугам (po zaslugam)

See also

• have it coming

References

• Oxford University Press article