T. S. Eliot
Examples of deserve in a Sentence
Emily Belfiore, Travel + Leisure, 24 Nov. 2023
The message here that kamikaze pilots who survived deserve to bear neither shame nor guilt will resonate strongly with modern audiences.
—Richard Kuipers, Variety, 22 Nov. 2023
Who to start: The Patriots D/ST deserves streaming consideration against an offense allowing the most fantasy points to opposing defenses.
—Eddie Brown, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Nov. 2023
The paparazzi and celebrities may soon return, but Pippen deserves attention for his skills.
—Iliana Limón Romero, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2023
Each of these individuals deserves a treatment plan that is tailored to their needs.
—Paige Stables, Allure, 22 Nov. 2023
And the American public deserves to know how Ticketmaster’s unfair practices may be enabled by its misuse of monopoly power.
—Ethan Millman, Rolling Stone, 20 Nov. 2023
Great British Baking Show alum Jürgen Krauss has a traditional German treat that deserves a spot at your holiday meal.
—Sabrina Weiss, Peoplemag, 20 Nov. 2023
Resist the urge to follow fleeting fads; your wedding proposal deserves to be as one-of-a-kind as your love.
—Boutayna Chokrane, Vogue, 20 Nov. 2023
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These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'deserve.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Middle English deserven, disserven "to be worthy of, attain what one deserves," borrowed from Anglo-French deservir, desservir, deserver "to deserve, merit, earn, be entitled to" (also continental Old & Middle French), going back to Medieval Latin dēservīre "to serve, officiate (at mass), hold land by service, earn, deserve," going back to Latin, "to spend one's time in, devote oneself (to pursuits, interests), be submissive to, comply with," from dē- de- + servīre "to perform duties for (a master) in the capacity of a slave, act in subservience, be at the service of" — more at serve entry 1
13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense
Phrases Containing deserve
Dictionary Entries Near deserve
Cite this Entry
“Deserve.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deserve. Accessed 4 Dec. 2023.
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More from Merriam-Webster on deserve
Nglish: Translation of deserve for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of deserve for Arabic Speakers
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