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Showing results for deserved. Search instead for deservedness.
Synonyms

deserved

American  
[dih-zurvd] / dɪˈzɜrvd /

adjective

  1. justly or rightly earned; merited.

    a deserved increase in salary.

Other Word Forms

  • deservedness noun
  • half-deserved adjective
  • half-deservedness noun
  • undeserved adjective
  • well-deserved adjective

Etymology

Origin of deserved

First recorded in 1545–55; deserve + -ed 2

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.

Smith: The critics didn’t give us the value we deserved.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 10, 2026

The visitors took a deserved lead when scrum-half Bracken collected from a ruck to glide past Cokansiga on his inside, dotting down for a try that Farrell slotted comfortably.

From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026

Former England captain Steph Houghton said Arsenal were "better in big moments" and deserved to progress on the balance of the tie.

From BBC • Apr. 1, 2026

I think we can all, as actors, relate to not getting something you are sure you deserved.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 31, 2026

I was putting them in danger, and they deserved nothing but kindness from me.

From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff

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.