no good deed goes unpunished
In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.
Also seen as: no good deed ever goes unpunished
Meaning · English
Actions of generosity often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility or demands for further work.
Nghĩa · Tiếng Việt
Hành động tốt thường không được đánh giá cao hoặc gặp sự thù địch
Machine-translated — suggest a fix
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “no good deed goes unpunished” mean?
Actions of generosity often go unappreciated or are met with outright hostility or demands for further work.
Is “no good deed goes unpunished” formal or informal?
No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.