deserving

1 of 2

noun

de·​serv·​ing di-ˈzər-viŋ How to pronounce deserving (audio)
: desert, merit
reward the proud according to their deservingsCharles Kingsley

deserving

2 of 2

adjective

1
: having good qualities that deserve praise, support, etc. : meritorious, worthy
rewarding deserving workers
scholarships for deserving students
2
: appropriately having or being given something specified
used with of
a proposal deserving of support [=a proposal that deserves support]
a criminal deserving of punishment
deservingly adverb
deservingness noun

Examples of deserving in a Sentence

Adjective He's a very deserving young man. The church provides aid to deserving families.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Which is a real bird and 100% deserving of its name. Caleb Harris, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025 Another outstanding release Volvo, and deserving of World Car Award accolades in my opinion. Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 7 June 2025
Adjective
Memorable, inventive, and fully deserving of its place on the list, this one’s for the adventurous. Lela London, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025 Buxton was named to the American League All-Star team on Sunday as the Twins’ lone representative with other deserving candidates like starter Joe Ryan and closer Jhoan Duran on the outside looking in. Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 6 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for deserving

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English deserving, deservinge, from gerund of deserven "to deserve"

Adjective

from present participle of deserve

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of deserving was in the 14th century

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Cite this Entry

“Deserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deserving. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

deserving

adjective
de·​serv·​ing
di-ˈzər-viŋ
: worthy entry 1 sense 2
especially : worthy of financial help
aid for deserving families

More from Merriam-Webster on deserving

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