as in worthy
having sufficient worth or merit to receive one's honor, esteem, or reward
gifts donated to deserving children every Christmas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in earning
to be or make worthy of (as a reward or punishment)
the team really deserved that victory after the way they played
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of deserving
Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Unjustly passed over last year in this same category for his fiery portrayal of gay civil rights figure Bayard Rustin, the former East Bay powerhouse is equally deserving to win for this phenomenal performance in a beautiful film too few saw.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Jeff Marks, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024
Goldman said the cruise line has bettered its business and is deserving of a higher price-to-earnings multiple.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for deserving
Adjective
And yet, the film has a pretty expert ensemble — Kevin Spacey won the Oscar, but Annette Bening was even more deserving — and Conrad Hall’s photography captures all the shiny surfaces that contrast with the characters’ anguished inner worlds.
—Will Leitch, Vulture, 3 Mar. 2025
Unjustly passed over last year in this same category for his fiery portrayal of gay civil rights figure Bayard Rustin, the former East Bay powerhouse is equally deserving to win for this phenomenal performance in a beautiful film too few saw.
—Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 25 Feb. 2025
Verb
The stock is deserving of its hefty premium due to the company’s share gains and dependability with a subscription model.
—Jeff Marks, CNBC, 13 Dec. 2024
Goldman said the cruise line has bettered its business and is deserving of a higher price-to-earnings multiple.
—Pia Singh, CNBC, 10 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for deserving
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserving
Adjective
-
For them, the 16e will be a worthy upgrade from models like the iPhone 13 and older.—
Bloomberg,
The Mercury News,
13 Mar. 2025
-
The event challenges participating teams to navigate a 4-to-6-mile course, featuring 15 unique obstacles while raising funds for worthy organizations.—
Orlando Sentinel Staff,
Orlando Sentinel,
13 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
After earning its first-ever nomination for season 3 at last year's Globes, season 4 of Slow Horses brought in three more nominations for the thriller series, as stars Gary Oldman and Jack Lowden were nominated for their roles as Jackson Lamb and River Cartwright, respectively.—
Julia Moore,
People.com,
6 Jan. 2025
-
Baby Reindeer and Hacks tied for the second-higest tally of TV wins, with each project earning two awards each.—
EW.com,
EW.com,
6 Jan. 2025
Adjective
-
Which among these is the most meritorious, and therefore worthy of the $525,000 grand prize?—
IEEE Spectrum,
IEEE Spectrum,
21 Oct. 2014
-
The award of meritorious service is given to those who have gone above and beyond in service to their school communities.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Feb. 2025
Adjective
-
And snood size is the quickest, easiest way for a hen to gauge whether the gobbler strutting his stuff in front of her is a good genetic candidate for her future poults.—
Alice Jones Webb,
Outdoor Life,
21 Mar. 2025
-
The city of Providence continues to be good to Pitino, who famously led Providence College to the Final Four in 1987 toward the beginning of his storied career.—
Peter Sblendorio,
New York Daily News,
21 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserving. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share