what goes around comes around

proverb

A person's actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person.

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Meanings

proverb

alternative what go round come round · alternative what goes round comes round · alternative what comes around goes around

  1. A person's actions, whether good or bad, will often have consequences for that person.

    So lonely in your bed / Does breakin' me make you feel good? / Guess you don't understand / What goes around, comes around

    2020, Ava Max, Madison Love, Måns Wredenberg, Noonie Bao, Cirkut, Linus Wiklund, “Who's Laughing Now”, in Heaven & Hell, performed by Ava Max
  2. Things repeat in cycles.

    Equally, what goes around, comes around. When it comes to investment theories, nothing new under the sun exists because ideas go stale and then get reinvented.

    2015, Tony Levene, Investing for Dummies, 4th edition, →ISBN, page 93
    2 more examples

    Unfortunately, the main proposal in the current XML era bears a striking resemblance to the CODASYL proposal from the early 1970’s, which failed because of its complexity. Hence, the current era is replaying history, and “what goes around comes around”. Hopefully the next era will be smarter.

    2005, Michael Stonebraker, Joseph M. Hellerstein, “What Goes Around Comes Around”, in Joseph M. Hellerstein, Michael Stonebraker, editors, Readings in Database Systems, 4th edition, →ISBN, page 2

    The most important one is the end of the Ajax hype. I’m not sure when it will happen, but I know that it will. What goes around comes around—what once was cool and modern will become old hat and boring.

    2006, Peter-Paul Koch, “Afterword”, in ppk on JavaScript, →ISBN

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
as you sow, so shall you reapsow the wind, reap the whirlwind

Origin

First attested in the 1950s in sense 1, originally in African-American English.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic كَمَا تَدِينُ تُدَان
  • كَمَا تَدِينُ تُدَان (kamā tadīnu tudān)actions have consequences
Bulgarian каквото повикало, такова се обадило, всичко се връща
  • каквото повикало, такова се обадило (kakvoto povikalo, takova se obadilo)actions have consequences
  • всичко се връща (vsičko se vrăšta)actions have consequences
  • на каквото си постелеш, на такова ще легнеш (na kakvoto si posteleš, na takova šte legneš)actions have consequences
Chinese Mandarin 善有善報，惡有惡報 /善有善报, 恶有恶报
  • 善有善報，惡有惡報 /善有善报actions have consequences
  • 恶有恶报 (shànyǒushànbào, èyǒu'èbào)actions have consequences
  • 種瓜得瓜 /种瓜得瓜 (zhòngguādéguā)actions have consequences
  • 種豆得豆 /种豆得豆 (zhòngdòudédòu)actions have consequences
  • 媳婦熬成婆 /媳妇熬成婆 (xífù áo chéng pó)actions have consequences
  • 因果循环，报应不爽。actions have consequences
Czech jak se do lesa volá, tak se z lesa ozývá
  • jak se do lesa volá, tak se z lesa ozýváactions have consequences
Danish hvad et menneske sår skal han høste, som man råber i skoven får man svar
  • hvad et menneske sår skal han høsteactions have consequences
  • som man råber i skoven får man svaractions have consequences
  • man ligger som man rederactions have consequences
  • høg over høgactions have consequences
Dutch wie wind zaait, zal storm oogsten, dat komt ervan
  • wie wind zaait, zal storm oogstenactions have consequences
  • dat komt ervanactions have consequences
  • wie de bal kaatst, moet hem terug verwachtenactions have consequences
Esperanto kia ago tia pago, kiu semas venton tiu rikoltos ventegon
  • kia ago tia pagoactions have consequences
  • kiu semas venton tiu rikoltos ventegonactions have consequences
Finnish minkä taakseen jättää, sen edestään löytää, niin metsä vastaa kuin sinne huudetaan
  • minkä taakseen jättää, sen edestään löytääactions have consequences
  • niin metsä vastaa kuin sinne huudetaanactions have consequences
  • niin makaat kuin petaatactions have consequences
French on récolte ce que l'on sème, qui sème le vent récolte la tempête
  • on récolte ce que l'on sèmeactions have consequences
  • qui sème le vent récolte la tempêteactions have consequences
  • toute action a des conséquencesactions have consequences
  • l'histoire se répètethings repeat in cycles
German wie man in den Wald hineinruft, so schallt es heraus, man erntet, was man sät
  • wie man in den Wald hineinruft, so schallt es herausactions have consequences
  • man erntet, was man sätactions have consequences
  • wie man sich bettet, so liegt manactions have consequences
  • die Vergangenheit holt einen immer einactions have consequences
  • das kommt davonactions have consequences
  • sowas kommt von sowasactions have consequences
  • wie du mir, so ich diractions have consequences
  • alles rächt sich irgendwannactions have consequences
Hebrew שלח לחמך על פני המים כי ברבות הימים תמצאנו, מה שנותנים ־ מקבלים
  • שלח לחמך על פני המים כי ברבות הימים תמצאנוactions have consequences
  • מה שנותנים ־ מקבליםactions have consequences
  • כל אחד מקבל בסוף מה שמגיע לוactions have consequences
  • הגלגל מסתובבactions have consequences
  • גלגל חוזר בעולםactions have consequences
Hindi जैसा कर्म करोगे वैसा ही फल मिलेगा
  • जैसा कर्म करोगे वैसा ही फल मिलेगा (jaisa karm karoge vaisa hī phal milegā)actions have consequences
Hungarian ki mint vet, úgy arat, amilyen az adjonisten, olyan a fogadjisten
  • ki mint vet, úgy aratactions have consequences
  • amilyen az adjonisten, olyan a fogadjistenactions have consequences
Italian chi semina vento raccoglie tempesta, chi la fa l'aspetti
  • chi semina vento raccoglie tempestaactions have consequences
  • chi la fa l'aspettiactions have consequences
  • si raccoglie ciò che si seminaactions have consequences
Japanese 因果応報, 業によりて果を引く
  • 因果応報 (inga-ōhō)actions have consequences
  • 業によりて果を引く (gō ni yorite ka o hiku)actions have consequences
  • 自業自得 (jigōjitoku)actions have consequences
Korean 뿌린대로 거둔다
  • 뿌린대로 거둔다 (ppurindaero geodunda)actions have consequences
Malay buat baik dibalas baik, buat jahat dibalas jahat
  • buat baik dibalas baik, buat jahat dibalas jahatactions have consequences
Norwegian man høster som man sår
  • man høster som man såractions have consequences
Persian از هر دست بدهی از همان دست میگیری, خلایق هرچه لایق
  • از هر دست بدهی از همان دست میگیری (az har dast bedahi, az hamân dast migiri)actions have consequences
  • خلایق هرچه لایق (xalâyeq harče lâyeq)actions have consequences
Polish co z siebie dajesz, to do ciebie wraca, jak Kuba Bogu, tak Bóg Kubie
  • co z siebie dajesz, to do ciebie wracaactions have consequences
  • jak Kuba Bogu, tak Bóg Kubieactions have consequences
  • jak sobie pościelesz, tak się wyśpiszactions have consequences
  • fortuna kołem się toczyactions have consequences
  • historia lubi się powtarzaćthings repeat in cycles
  • historia zatacza kołothings repeat in cycles
Portuguese quem semeia ventos colhe tempestades, aqui se faz, aqui se paga
  • quem semeia ventos colhe tempestadesactions have consequences
  • aqui se faz, aqui se pagaactions have consequences
  • você colhe o que plantaactions have consequences
  • o mundo dá voltasactions have consequences
  • tudo que vai voltaactions have consequences
  • chumbo trocado não dóiactions have consequences
  • cá se fazem, cá se pagamactions have consequences
Romanian Dumnezeu nu bate cu parul
  • Dumnezeu nu bate cu parulactions have consequences
Russian как ау́кнется, так и откли́кнется, что посе́ешь, то и пожнёшь
  • как ау́кнется, так и откли́кнется (kak aúknetsja, tak i otklíknetsja)actions have consequences
  • что посе́ешь, то и пожнёшь (što poséješʹ, to i požnjóšʹ)actions have consequences
Scottish Gaelic buail thall 's coinnich a-bhos e
  • buail thall 's coinnich a-bhos eactions have consequences
Spanish todo cae por su propio peso, donde las dan las toman
  • todo cae por su propio pesoactions have consequences
  • donde las dan las tomanactions have consequences
Swedish som man bäddar får man ligga, som man sår får man skörda
  • som man bäddar får man liggaactions have consequences
  • som man sår får man skördaactions have consequences
  • svinhugg går igenactions have consequences
Tagalog kung anong itinanim, siya ring aanihin
  • kung anong itinanim, siya ring aanihinactions have consequences
Tamil திணை விதைத்தவன் திணை அறுப்பான், வினை விதைத்தவன் வினை அறுப்பான்
  • திணை விதைத்தவன் திணை அறுப்பான் (tiṇai vitaittavaṉ tiṇai aṟuppāṉ)actions have consequences
  • வினை விதைத்தவன் வினை அறுப்பான் (viṉai vitaittavaṉ viṉai aṟuppāṉ)actions have consequences
Thai กงเกวียนกำเกวียน, กรรมใดใครก่อ กรรมนั้นคืนสนอง
  • กงเกวียนกำเกวียน (gong-gwiian-gam-gwiian)actions have consequences
  • กรรมใดใครก่อ กรรมนั้นคืนสนอง (gam-dai-krai-gɔ̀ɔ gam-nán-yɔ̂m-kʉʉn-sà-nɔ̌ɔng)actions have consequences
  • กรรมตามสนอง (gam-dtaam-sà-nɔ̌ɔng)actions have consequences
  • ให้ทุกข์แก่ท่าน ทุกข์นั้นถึงตัว (hâi-túk-gɛ̀ɛ-tân túk-nán-tʉ̌ng-dtuua)actions have consequences
Turkish başkasına fenalık eden kendine etmiş olur
  • başkasına fenalık eden kendine etmiş oluractions have consequences
Vietnamese ác giả ác báo, đời cha ăn mặn, đời con khát nước
  • ác giả ác báoactions have consequences
  • đời cha ăn mặn, đời con khát nướcactions have consequences
  • gieo nhân nào gặt quả nấyactions have consequences
Cite this entry
APA

what goes around comes around. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what%20goes%20around%20comes%20around

MLA

“what goes around comes around.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what%20goes%20around%20comes%20around. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “what goes around comes around,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/what%20goes%20around%20comes%20around.

Source: what goes around comes around on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.