comeuppance

[kuhm-uhp-uhns]

noun

Informal.

1. deserved reward or just deserts, usually unpleasant.

   He finally got his comeuppance for his misbehavior.

comeuppance

/ ˌkʌmˈʌpəns /

noun

1. informal,  just retribution

Word History and Origins

Origin of comeuppance¹

An Americanism first recorded in 1855–60; from the phrase come up (as in judgment for a trial) + -ance

Word History and Origins

Origin of comeuppance¹

C19: from come up (in the sense: to appear before a judge or court for judgment)

Example Sentences

In the climactic scene, Griffith’s Tess McGill convincingly demonstrates it was her idea all along while her boss gets her comeuppance.

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But the longed-for comeuppance of the brutish earl is as much an attraction to the series as Ms. Peckham.

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Highlights included Hot To Go, with its viral YMCA-style dance routine; and the snarky comeuppance anthem My Kink Is Karma, which Roan dedicated "to my ex who is in the crowd tonight".

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It wasn’t just that the audience wanted catharsis, it was that they wanted to see Alex — the mentally ill, lonely, mistreated woman they saw as simply “crazy” — get her comeuppance.

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The total lack of subtext makes the film frustrating to watch, even if we know Josh will get his comeuppance.

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Related Words

• retribution