deserve

verb

de·​serve di-ˈzərv How to pronounce deserve (audio)
deserved; deserving
Synonyms of deservenext

transitive verb

: to be worthy of : merit
deserves another chance

intransitive verb

: to be worthy, fit, or suitable for some reward or requital
… have become recognized as they deserve.—T. S. Eliot
a worse punishment than he deserved
deserver noun

Synonyms

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of deserve in a Sentence

the team really deserved that victory after the way they played
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Our children deserve every possible opportunity to grow up healthy and prepared for the future. —Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 8 Nov. 2024 All of us deserve to be treated equally and all of us deserve to be treated with dignity and respect. —Mathew Rodriguez, Them, 5 Nov. 2024 Our schools need better funding, and our direct support staff deserve living wages. —Emily Harvey, The Denver Post, 5 Nov. 2024 Any answer produced by generative AI deserves your best kind of scrutiny. —Lance Eliot, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for deserve 

Word History

Etymology

Middle English deserven, disserven "to be worthy of, attain what one deserves," borrowed from Anglo-French deservir, desservir, deserver "to deserve, merit, earn, be entitled to" (also continental Old & Middle French), going back to Medieval Latin dēservīre "to serve, officiate (at mass), hold land by service, earn, deserve," going back to Latin, "to spend one's time in, devote oneself (to pursuits, interests), be submissive to, comply with," from dē- de- + servīre "to perform duties for (a master) in the capacity of a slave, act in subservience, be at the service of" — more at serve entry 1

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of deserve was in the 13th century

Phrases Containing deserve

Dictionary Entries Near deserve

desertworthy

deserve

deserve a medal

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Deserve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deserve. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

deserve

verb
de·​serve di-ˈzərv How to pronounce deserve (audio)
deserved; deserving
: to be worthy of : merit
deserves another chance

More from Merriam-Webster on deserve

Nglish: Translation of deserve for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of deserve for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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