as in worthy
having sufficient worth or merit to receive one's honor, esteem, or reward
gifts donated to deserving children every Christmas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in earning
to be or make worthy of (as a reward or punishment)
the team really deserved that victory after the way they played
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of deserving
Liam Hess, Vogue, 30 May 2025
But Tyler definitely is deserving of the thought of an extension.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 10 May 2025
PCMAG, 23 Feb. 2025
There are myriad factors for this season’s likely outcome and achievements in both camps that are deserving of acclaim; good signings, good coaching, good decisions at the right moment.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserving
Adjective
Another standout—and a deserving special mention at the prize ceremony later—was artist Sumakshi Singh’s breathtaking Monument, a life-size recreation of a colonnade from the 12th-century Qutab Minar in her home city of Delhi.
—Liam Hess, Vogue, 30 May 2025
But Tyler definitely is deserving of the thought of an extension.
—Anthony Chiang, Miami Herald, 10 May 2025
Verb
Still, the Lexar Professional Go With Hub provides an effective solution for iPhone videographers who want to record 4K ProRes video with high frame rates without swamping precious device memory, and is deserving of our highest recommendation.
—PCMAG, 23 Feb. 2025
There are myriad factors for this season’s likely outcome and achievements in both camps that are deserving of acclaim; good signings, good coaching, good decisions at the right moment.
—Sebastian Stafford-Bloor, The Athletic, 16 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserving
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserving
Adjective
-
Pricing players can be an inexact science, but is an extremely worthy exercise that can save future headaches.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
17 June 2025
-
To help, this article has been updated to include one highly worthy pick from the week ahead.—
Savannah Salazar,
Vulture,
16 June 2025
Verb
-
The governor’s plan would make pre-K free for families earning up to $100,000 a year, and $20 a day for those earning up to $150,000.—
Laura Tillman,
Hartford Courant,
31 Mar. 2025
-
Two weeks later, Payne carried the Lancers to a championship in La Jolla’s Beach City Invitational, earning the tournament’s MVP for middles.—
Tim Meehan SD,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
31 Mar. 2025
Adjective
-
In selling its example and worldview, China could draw on Confucian ideas, including the notion that collective values are more meritorious than individualistic ones.—
RANA MITTER,
Foreign Affairs,
22 Apr. 2025
-
Zion first responders recognized Zion recognized firefighters and police officers recently for their brave and meritorious actions in two different instances.—
Clifford Ward,
Chicago Tribune,
4 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
That looks like a pretty good bet to me, going forward.—
Liz Hoffman,
semafor.com,
24 June 2025
-
What Aggarwal does best is to blend traditional Indian craftsmanship with modern designs, and this collection was no different — with his modern reinterpretations of vintage Banarasi textiles.—
Footwear News,
Footwear News,
24 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Deserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserving. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share