deserved

American

[dih-zurvd] / dɪˈzɜrvd /

adjective

justly or rightly earned; merited.

a deserved increase in salary.

Other Word Forms

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.

The prosecutor general said Kozyura had agreed to share information "constituting state secrets" for financial reward and deserved the harshest punishment.

From BBC • Jun. 26, 2026

Iran clearly deserved a better fate after absorbing wave after wave of a withering Belgium attack without breaking.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 21, 2026

“Some of the other guys thought we deserved better,” Johnson says in the film.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 18, 2026

"It did not get the level of scrutiny and prominence it deserved," he added.

From BBC • Jun. 16, 2026

If I took home gold, I didn’t want anyone to doubt that I deserved it, so I needed to go out there and earn it.

From "Courage to Soar" by Simone Biles

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023