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Synonyms

deserve

American

[dih-zurv] / dɪˈzɜrv /

verb (used with object)

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.

Synonyms:

justify, warrant, rate

verb (used without object)

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.

deserve British

/ dɪˈzɜːvɪdnɪs, dɪˈzɜːv /

verb

(tr) to be entitled to or worthy of; merit
obsolete to be worthy

"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

deserve Idioms

see one good turn deserves another.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

Future

Etymology

Origin of deserve

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)

Explanation

We deserve things based on our actions. For example, many people believe murderers deserve the death penalty. Deserve is used in many ways, but it always carries a sense of balance or justice. If someone receives an award for their work, it means they deserve praise and attention. If you deserve a day off, it means you've been working hard and have earned a vacation. If you threw a book during class, you deserve a punishment of some kind. Many laws — and lots of arguments — are about deciding what different people deserve. It's often hard to tell.

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Vocabulary lists containing deserve

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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 the most telling moment came when Whoopi Goldberg raised the issue of race, asking what Black Americans had done to deserve being stigmatized by the administration.

From Salon • Jun. 17, 2026

Jake Reiner said he keeps thinking about how frightened his parents must have been the night they died and that they were "the last people in the world to deserve what happened to them".

From BBC • Apr. 24, 2026

What did Book do to deserve such consideration, even by a then-ex-prime minister?

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

That I had to shrink, impress or overachieve to deserve it.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2025

I had no idea what good deed I had done in my life to deserve Blanca, all I knew was that she was there.

From "Bodega Dreams" by Ernesto Quinonez

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