just deserts

de·sert

J j

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [dih-zurt]
- /dʒʌst -ˈzɝːts/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [dih-zurt]
- /dʒʌst -ˈzɝːts/

Definitions of just deserts words

noun just deserts Usually, deserts. reward or punishment that is deserved: Death was his desert. Synonyms: due, payment, recompense, reward; justice, retaliation, retribution, penalty. 1
noun just deserts the state or fact of deserving reward or punishment. 1
noun just deserts the state or condition of being worthy, as in character or behavior. Synonyms: merit, virtue, worth. 1
idioms just deserts get / receive / etc. one's (just) deserts, to be punished or rewarded in a manner appropriate to one's actions or behavior: Some people felt he had gotten his just deserts, having been imprisoned and relieved of his ill-gotten gains, but others would have preferred old-style public flogging, followed by drawing and quartering, and who can blame them? 1
noun plural just deserts deserved punishment 1
noun just deserts (Idiomatic) A punishment or reward that is considered to be what the recipient deserved. 0

See all 6 definitions of just deserts

Information block about the term

Origin of just deserts

First appearance:

before 1275

One of the 13% oldest English words

1275-1325; Middle English < Old French deserte, noun use of feminine past participle of deservir to deserve

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Just deserts

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Just deserts

just deserts popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 86% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

Most Europeans know this English word. The frequency of it’s usage is somewhere between "mom" and "screwdriver".

just deserts usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for just deserts

noun just deserts

carrot — Carrots are long, thin, orange-coloured vegetables. They grow under the ground, and have green shoots above the ground.
comeuppance — If you say that someone has got their comeuppance, you approve of the fact that they have been punished or have suffered for something wrong that they have done.
guerdon — a reward, recompense, or requital.
meed — a reward or recompense.

All 4 Synonyms of just deserts