4 ms·

A deserving; that which makes one deserving of reward or punishment; merit or demerit; good conferred, or evil inflicted, which merits an equivalent return: as,

by tetrep 4y ago

A deserving; that which makes one deserving of reward or punishment; merit or demerit; good conferred, or evil inflicted, which merits an equivalent return: as, to reward or punish men according to their deserts. "Just deserts" is a common phrase that uses it in the same way.

ascotan 4y ago
desert i don't think means deserving. It comes from the latin desertus which means to "make barren or empty/forsake". I think in this context it means to have something fail or be abandoned at a critical moment.
- 542458 4y ago
  The person you’re replying to is correct - “desert” is in some contexts an old word that’s pronounced like “dessert” but spelled with one “s” that means “the punishment that one deserves”. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/just-deserts-or-just-desserts https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/just-deserts-o...
  - lnx01 4y ago
    Also, "desert" as the present tense of "deserted". As in "All my friends have deserted me." Or, "The Sgt. Major punished the deserter."
- nightpool 4y ago
  https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/desert https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/desert
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]
Semaphor 4y ago
Oh wow. I (non-native) never realized it only had one s, I always assumed it was "just desserts", as in, you are getting the dessert you deserve, after the food (the evil you did) :D
- antibasilisk 4y ago
  I (native) also did not realize this.
  - Kye 4y ago
    Native English speaker here too. TWL (Today We Learned) I always assumed it was one one of those odd manglings that gained traction, like irregardless.
    - bombcar 4y ago
      Apparently it's spelled "deserts" and pronounced "desserts" https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/just-deserts-or-just-desserts https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/just-deserts-o...
      - Kye 4y ago
        Yes. That's why people think it's "desserts."
- johnla 4y ago
  If I was on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, I would've picked "just desserts" as my final answer without hesitation. TIL
echion 4y ago
> > > > I am very frustrated by political arguments about desert > > > What does "desert" mean here > A deserving [...] merit Thanks. As a native speaker aware of "desert"'s multiple meanings and "just deserts", I think "merit", "deservedness", "appropriateness" would have been much clearer choices here. Perhaps the jarring note alone (of "desert" in this context) should have clued me in that an unusual usage was in play. Thanks again for the clarification.

by tetrep 4y ago

ascotan 4y ago

desert i don't think means deserving. It comes from the latin desertus which means to "make barren or empty/forsake". I think in this context it means to have something fail or be abandoned at a critical moment.

542458 4y ago
The person you’re replying to is correct - “desert” is in some contexts an old word that’s pronounced like “dessert” but spelled with one “s” that means “the punishment that one deserves”. https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/just-deserts-or-just-desserts https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/just-deserts-o...
- lnx01 4y ago
  Also, "desert" as the present tense of "deserted". As in "All my friends have deserted me." Or, "The Sgt. Major punished the deserter."
nightpool 4y ago
https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/desert https://webstersdictionary1828.com/Dictionary/desert

deleted 4y ago

[deleted]

Semaphor 4y ago

Oh wow. I (non-native) never realized it only had one s, I always assumed it was "just desserts", as in, you are getting the dessert you deserve, after the food (the evil you did) :D

antibasilisk 4y ago
I (native) also did not realize this.
- Kye 4y ago
  Native English speaker here too. TWL (Today We Learned) I always assumed it was one one of those odd manglings that gained traction, like irregardless.
  - bombcar 4y ago
    Apparently it's spelled "deserts" and pronounced "desserts" https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/just-deserts-or-just-desserts https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/just-deserts-o...
    - Kye 4y ago
      Yes. That's why people think it's "desserts."
johnla 4y ago
If I was on Who Wants to be a Millionaire, I would've picked "just desserts" as my final answer without hesitation. TIL

echion 4y ago

> > > > I am very frustrated by political arguments about desert > > > What does "desert" mean here > A deserving [...] merit Thanks. As a native speaker aware of "desert"'s multiple meanings and "just deserts", I think "merit", "deservedness", "appropriateness" would have been much clearer choices here. Perhaps the jarring note alone (of "desert" in this context) should have clued me in that an unusual usage was in play. Thanks again for the clarification.