noun
desert
A reward or punishment that someone deserves.
The dishonest official receives his just deserts.
Etymology
Old French deservir meant to deserve or earn. A person’s desert is the outcome earned by that person’s conduct, applying the earning idea to punishment as well as reward.
More examples
- She believed the punishment was his desert.
- The story ends with the villain getting his deserts.
- They argued about the reward that was her proper desert.
Forms
desert · deserts