deserving

1 of 2

noun

de·​serv·​ing di-ˈzər-viŋ 

: deserved reward or punishment : merit

… reward the proud according to their deservings!

—Charles 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

Synonyms of deserving

Adjective

• worthy
• meritorious
• good

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

Noun

Those interested can nominate themselves or their deserving loved one on the company's website. — Zoey Lyttle, PEOPLE, 18 May 2026

The Eagles had in mind city-dwelling male breadwinners and excluded household and domestic work from their vision of who was among the deserving. — Trevor Jackson, The New York Review of Books, 4 Apr. 2026

Adjective

Immense in stature and reputation, Shinnecock Hills is deserving of its label as a cathedral of championship golf. — Justin Ray, New York Times, 17 June 2026

That long after the war ended, debate about whether men like him were deserving of recognition and reparation would continue. — Literary Hub, 16 June 2026

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

Rhymes for deserving

• conserving
• observing
• preserving
• reserving
• subserving
• unnerving
• unswerving
• curving
• serving
• swerving
• undeserving

Kids Definition

deserving

adjective

de·​serv·​ing

di-ˈzər-viŋ

: worthy entry 1 sense 2

especially : worthy of financial help

aid for deserving families