just deserts

Idioms  

1. A deserved punishment or reward, as in He got his just deserts when Mary jilted him. This idiom employs desert in the sense of “what one deserves,” a usage dating from the 1300s but obsolete except in this expression.

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

just deserts

Americans are tough and have endured the hardship, and now, we’ll finally get our just deserts.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 5, 2026

It is satisfying when someone so up themselves gets their just deserts.

From Salon ● Jul. 6, 2023

“Belief in just deserts was negatively associated with risk perception and positively associated with human rights restrictions,” the study reads.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 20, 2022

There will be England fans who feel it is an overdue serving of just deserts.

From BBC ● Nov. 19, 2021

Theology has changed, over the years: just deserts used to be what everyone could expect to get, in the end.

From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood