deserve
Americanverb (used with object)
-
deserves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deserved,
past participle, past
-
deserving
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
deserves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deserved,
past participle, past
-
deserving
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to be entitled to or worthy of; merit
-
obsolete to be worthy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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deservesimple
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deservessimple
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have deservedperfect
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has deservedperfect
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am deservingprogressive
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are deservingprogressive
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is deservingprogressive
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have been deservingperfect progressive
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has been deservingperfect progressive
Past
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deservedsimple
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had deservedperfect
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was deservingprogressive
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were deservingprogressive
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had been deservingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of deserve
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English deserven, from Anglo-French, Old French deservir, from Latin dēservīre “to devote oneself to the service of,” equivalent to dē- de- + servīre “to serve” ( see serve)
Explanation
We deserve things based on our actions. For example, many people believe murderers deserve the death penalty. Deserve is used in many ways, but it always carries a sense of balance or justice. If someone receives an award for their work, it means they deserve praise and attention. If you deserve a day off, it means you've been working hard and have earned a vacation. If you threw a book during class, you deserve a punishment of some kind. Many laws — and lots of arguments — are about deciding what different people deserve. It's often hard to tell.
Vocabulary lists containing deserve
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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Schooled
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History is made in PA: Clinton's DNC Acceptance Speech
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Whether or not you’ve done anything to deserve this mistrust, it seems like your employees feel a bit uneasy.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026
Auto lovers have pushed for years to lessen emissions regulations for collector cars, arguing that these vintage vehicles are only driven short distances to parades and meet-ups where they deserve to be seen and cherished.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026
If safety standards deserve protection from market pressure to prevent a race to the bottom, the more defensible solution is for governments, not competitors, to establish the safety floor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
The chair of the British Medical Association said on Tuesday that whistleblowers in the NHS "deserve strong protections, and the inquiry makes it clear that these doctors did not get them".
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
REELTOK: Do you believe you deserve forgiveness and Pamela doesn't?
From "Linked" by Gordon Korman
That reaction deserves more attention than the CPI number itself.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 15, 2026
What are you most excited for, Mary, besides watching your favorite actor, Noah Wyle, get all the love he deserves?
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 14, 2026
“Truth-telling” is the wrong description of what deserves recognition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
"Cinema-going is really important to me, and through sheer determination I was going to get this on a cinema screen too, as it deserves to be seen there", Walls said.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
This is action before thought, and he deserves to suffer the consequences.
From "How It Went Down" by Kekla Magoon
But Joseph also ruled that the FDA deserved a chance to impose new limits on mifepristone before being ordered to do so by the court.
From Slate ● Sep. 16, 2026
"It's easy to say you don't know when you failed to find out," she said, adding that Noah "deserved better".
From BBC ● Sep. 15, 2026
In other races, Tom Pelphrey’s win for his supporting work in “Task” was also deserved and anticipated, as was the farewell best variety show Emmy win for “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert.”
From Salon ● Sep. 15, 2026
"We did not listen in the way we should have, and this family deserved better from us."
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
You have to understand, when he nodded to me or the doorman, it felt like everything was okay and you were a good person and you deserved good things to happen.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
It forces a reassessment of the route which brought Benn here, and whether his body of work really suggested he was ready for, or deserving of, a world-title fight.
From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026
This argument is ridiculous, as in deserving of ridicule.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
I got so much love and so much support for that show, but I didn’t feel deserving of it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
That still leaves five candidates deserving closer study.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
They tell Mam and Dad they’re sorry to disturb them but the Society has to be sure they’re helping deserving cases.
From "Angela's Ashes: A Memoir" by Frank McCourt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
