deserving
Americanadjective
-
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
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.
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
Two categories stood out as particularly deserving of further investigation: reproductive symptoms, including changes in menstrual cycles, and problems involving body temperature, such as chills and hot flashes.
From Science Daily ● 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
Once I have given birth, I will give my child to some gentlewoman more fit and more deserving to be a mother than I am.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
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.
