deserving
Americanadjective
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qualified for or having a claim to reward, assistance, etc., because of one's actions, qualities, or situation.
the deserving poor;
a deserving applicant.
-
meriting; worthy.
a criminal deserving of a lifetime sentence.
adjective
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of deserving
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.
Perhaps, though, you think SpaceX is deserving of a stratospheric valuation.
From Barron's • May 29, 2026
But her lead performance in “Little Bear Ridge Road” is just as deserving of recognition.
From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026
Wednesday is the last day politicians have to persuade the public that they are deserving of support.
From BBC • May 5, 2026
In Kentucky, lawmakers recently passed a bill classifying TV-viewing patterns as “sensitive data” deserving of broader legal protections and transparency measures.
From Slate • May 3, 2026
For an hour or two every Thursday, when Jalil came to see her, all smiles and gifts and endearments, Mariam felt deserving of all the beauty and bounty that life had to give.
From "A Thousand Splendid Suns" by Khaled Hosseini
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.
