just deserts

Idioms

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.

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

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just deserts

Kakkar has a later over-the-top turn as the elderly Alexander Iden, who gives Cade his just deserts despite her character’s conspicuous frailty.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 15, 2024

"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

It would get its just deserts soon enough.

From "Life of Pi" by Yann Martel

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023