reap what one sows en · VERB
Pronunciation
- (Australia) audio
- /ˌɹiːp(h)wɒt wʌn ˈsəʊz/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˌɹip wɑt wʌn ˈsoʊz/ (General-American)
Etymology
From Galatians 6:7 in the Bible (King James Version; spelling modernized): “Be not deceived, God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
Meanings
-
To receive as a return or reward in the same measure as one's exertions or intentions, in a good or a bad sense; to receive justice or one's just deserts.
"We will reap what we sow; live with what we do not act to change," he said.
2005 November 15, Tony Blair, The Guardian:You're going to reap just what you sow
1972, Lou Reed, “Perfect Day”:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| reaped what one had sown | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| reaped what one had sown | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| reaping what one sows | Tense=Pres, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| reaped what one has sown | Tense=Past, VerbForm=Part | lexicographic | |
| reaped what one sowed | Tense=Past | lexicographic | |
| reaps what one sows | Number=Sing, Person=3, Tense=Pres | lexicographic |
Relateds
step on a rake · Leopards Eating People's Faces Party · as you sow, so shall you reap · chickens come home to roost · bring one's own hide to market · fuck around and find out · sow dragon's teeth · every man is the architect of his own fortune · stew in one's juices · play stupid games, win stupid prizes · what goes around comes around · taste of one's own medicine · sow the wind, reap the whirlwind · make one's bed and lie in it · like turkeys voting for Christmas
Translations (6)
cmn 自食其果 (to receive as a return or reward in the same measure as one’s exertions or intentions — see also as you sow, so shall you reap, sow the wind, reap the whirlwind) · es cosechar lo que se siembra (to receive as a return or reward in the same measure as one’s exertions or intentions — see also as you sow, so shall you reap, sow the wind, reap the whirlwind) · es recoger lo que se siembra (to receive as a return or reward in the same measure as one’s exertions or intentions — see also as you sow, so shall you reap, sow the wind, reap the whirlwind) · fr récolter ce que l'on a semé (to receive as a return or reward in the same measure as one’s exertions or intentions — see also as you sow, so shall you reap, sow the wind, reap the whirlwind) · tr ektiğini biçmek (to receive as a return or reward in the same measure as one’s exertions or intentions — see also as you sow, so shall you reap, sow the wind, reap the whirlwind) · pt colher o que semear (to receive as a return or reward in the same measure as one’s exertions or intentions — see also as you sow, so shall you reap, sow the wind, reap the whirlwind)