deserve
Americanverb (used with object)
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deserves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deserved,
past participle, past
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deserving
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
deserves,
present (3rd person singular)
-
deserved,
past participle, past
-
deserving
present participle
verb
-
(tr) to be entitled to or worthy of; merit
-
obsolete to be worthy
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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deservesimple
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deservessimple
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have deservedperfect
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has deservedperfect
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am deservingprogressive
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are deservingprogressive
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is deservingprogressive
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have been deservingperfect progressive
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has been deservingperfect progressive
Past
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deservedsimple
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had deservedperfect
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was deservingprogressive
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were deservingprogressive
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had been deservingperfect progressive
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.
Vocabulary lists containing deserve
"Macbeth" Vocabulary from Act I
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Schooled
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History is made in PA: Clinton's DNC Acceptance Speech
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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.
See Examples For:
She added: "Such a proposal would not merely be mistaken, misguided or unacceptable; it would deserve to be rejected outright."
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
“It’s just like the teams. No one is guaranteed to advance. Game by game, you prove whether you deserve to stay in the competition.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2026
He was a public servant, and we all deserve answers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Confessing she was "certainly not well-versed in politics", Lazkani said that "at this stage, I feel I deserve prayers more than blessings".
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
“What I do know is that you kids deserve better. I know we can’t stay in your aunt’s basement forever, but it’s hard to figure out what to do next. Does that make sense?”
From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller
"We don't believe that somebody who is willing to do that deserves release," Cat added.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
“I hate that I’m giving you this much of my energy today ... My family deserves to be remembered for who they were, not how they died.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 2026
“Oak Street” has them in abundance, and a giant worm-snake is, by itself, so slimy-creepy-funny that it deserves its own spinoff franchise.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Hopefully her personal circle gives her the love and support that she deserves during that time.
From Salon ● Aug. 13, 2026
Then she said, “Most of the time, everyone deserves more than one chance. We all do things we regret now and then. You just have to carry them with you.”
From "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
Mayor of London Sir Sadiq Khan said Valencia-Trujillo, Wilkins and Levy's other victims "deserved a system that believed and protected them".
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
If the CIA operated indirectly, often several steps removed from the artists who produced imaginative work in which they believed, it’s unclear how much credit—or blame—the agency deserved.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
Was there a specific moment when it dawned on the “Hacks” team that Jimmy and Kayla deserved more airtime?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
The records are still there and still sound great, even if they didn’t earn their creators the kind of money and lifestyle that they deserved.
From Salon ● Aug. 10, 2026
She knew she ought to keep her sharp tongue to herself, but she was so certain she was fired, and deserved to be fired, she didn’t see the point.
From "Not Nothing" by Gayle Forman
Saints owner Dragan Solak revealed to BBC Sport in early June that he would not sack Eckert and that he was deserving of a second chance.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The ongoing explosion of revival screenings in Los Angeles is an opportunity not just to revisit accepted classics, but also to give a spotlight to undersung oddball picks deserving of broader attention.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2026
That still leaves five candidates deserving closer study.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 10, 2026
With his exit, they must realize there are others who are more deserving of attention and support.
From Salon ● Jul. 9, 2026
I was half an hour late, having got lost on the way here, and I felt as deserving of a scolding as a schoolboy.
From "The Fire Next Time" by James Baldwin
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.
