deserve

[ dih-zurv ]
See synonyms for: deservedeserveddeservesdeserving on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),de·served, de·serv·ing.
  1. to merit, be qualified for, or have a claim to (reward, assistance, punishment, etc.) because of actions, qualities, or situation: to deserve exile; to deserve charity; a theory that deserves consideration.

verb (used without object),de·served, de·serv·ing.
  1. to be worthy of, qualified for, or have a claim to reward, punishment, recompense, etc.: to reward him as he deserves; an idea deserving of study.

Origin of deserve

1
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)

Other words for deserve

Other words from deserve

  • de·serv·er, noun
  • pre·de·serve, verb (used with object), pre·de·served, pre·de·serv·ing.

Words Nearby deserve

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How to use deserve in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for deserve

deserve

/ (dɪˈzɜːv) /


verb
  1. (tr) to be entitled to or worthy of; merit

  2. (intr foll by of) obsolete to be worthy

Origin of deserve

1
C13: from Old French deservir, from Latin dēservīre to serve devotedly, from de- + servīre to serve

Derived forms of deserve

  • deserved, adjective
  • deservedness (dɪˈzɜːvɪdnɪs), noun
  • deserver, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with deserve

deserve

see one good turn deserves another.

The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.