just deserts

English

Pronunciation

(Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /dʒʌst dɪˈzɜːts/
(General American) IPA^(key): /dʒʌst dəˈzɚts/
Audio (AU) (file)

Noun

just deserts pl (plural only)

(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, just rewards

Translations

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

Czech: po zásluze, spravedlivá odplata f, co komu patří
French: dû (fr), juste châtiment
German: sein Fett wegbekommen, sein Fett abbekommen (to get one's just deserts)
Japanese: 自業自得 (ja) (jigōjitoku)
Russian: справедливое наказа́ние (spravedlivoje nakazánije), по заслугам (ru) (po zaslugam)
Spanish: su merecido
Ukrainian: заслужене n (zaslužene), по заслузі (po zasluzi), відплата (vidplata)

See also

References

“'Just Deserts' or 'Just Desserts'?”, in Merriam-Webster: Grammar & Usage, 2019 May 29

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