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Poetic justice
01
a situation in which one believes that an unfortunate event that has happened to someone is well deserved
Approving
Idiom
Grammatical Information
Animacy status
Abstract
Composition
Compound
Uncountable
Plural form
poetic justices
What is the origin of the idiom "poetic justice" and when to use it?
The idiom "poetic justice" was first used in the 18th century by a British writer named Thomas Rymer. He used it to talk about how in stories, good characters should be rewarded and bad characters should face punishment. People often use the term when talking about books, movies, or plays to show how satisfying it is to see good characters get what they deserve and bad characters face consequences.
Examples
The villain 's downfall in the story provides a perfect example of poetic justice, as their wicked actions catch up to them.
