deserve

verb

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

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

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.
Yes, whoever introduced Lil Wayne to Warped Tour, Guitar Hero 3, and Patrick Stump’s fedora stash deserves a hell of their own making. Pitchfork, 6 June 2025 The Colosseum, the Pantheon, and the Baroque squares make Rome an open-air museum that deserves to be explored thoroughly, step by step. Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2025 Black communities deserve to feel safe from the threat of racists acts, especially at a time when our history is being challenged, erased and ignored. Raisa Habersham, Miami Herald, 5 June 2025 Does the 88-year-old Holocaust survivor lying in agony in a hospital bed deserve it? Hen Mazzig, USA Today, 5 June 2025 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

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Deserve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deserve. Accessed 9 Jun. 2025.

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

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!