Meanings
- idiomaticpluralplural onlyA 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.
Synonyms: payback, poetic justice, comeuppance, just rewards
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved.
More synonyms by meaning
nounan outcome (good or bad) that is well deserved and fitting
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Chinese Mandarin 報應 /报应
- 報應 /报应 (bàoyìng)a punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
Czech po zásluze, spravedlivá odplata
- po zásluzea punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
- spravedlivá odplataa punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
- co komu patřía punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
Finnish saada ansionsa mukaan
- saada ansionsa mukaana punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
French dû, juste châtiment
- dûa punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
- juste châtimenta punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
German sein Fett wegbekommen, sein Fett abbekommen
- sein Fett wegbekommena punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
- sein Fett abbekommena punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
Hungarian méltó juss, méltó büntetés
- méltó jussa punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
- méltó büntetésa punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
- méltó jutaloma punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
Japanese 自業自得
- 自業自得 (jigōjitoku)a punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
Polish zasłużona kara
- zasłużona karaa punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
Russian справедливое наказа́ние, по заслугам
- справедливое наказа́ние (spravedlivoje nakazánije)a punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
- по заслугам (po zaslugam)a punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
Spanish su merecido
- su merecidoa punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
Ukrainian заслужене, по заслузі
- заслужене (zaslužene)a punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
- по заслузі (po zasluzi)a punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
- відплата (vidplata)a punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved
Cite this entry
just deserts. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/just%20deserts
“just deserts.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/just%20deserts. Accessed November 4, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “just deserts,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/just%20deserts.
Source: just deserts on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.