deserve

play

verb de·serve \di-ˈzərv\

Definition of deserve

deserved

;

deserving

transitive verb
: to be worthy of : merit deserves another chance
intransitive verb
: to be worthy, fit, or suitable for some reward or requital … have become recognized as they deserve. — T. S. Eliot a worse punishment than he deserved

deserver

noun

See deserve defined for English-language learners

See deserve defined for kids

Examples of deserve in a Sentence

the team really deserved that victory after the way they played

Recent Examples of deserve from the Web

Saban deserves that $11.5 million, like LeBron should make $100 million.

— emily kaplan and robert klemko, SI.com, "Where the Crimson Tide’s Green Goes," 20 July 2017
In the loss, Aberdeen pitcher Tobias Myers (2-2) deserved a better fate.

— randy mcroberts, The Aegis, "Aberdeen sees first double-header action and splits in Lowell," 18 July 2017
All’Acqua Atwater Village, Italian $$ Every neighborhood deserves access to primo charcuterie, cacio e pepe, and pizzas decked out with soppressata and Calabrian chiles.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017
Our nation’s children deserve to experience summer breaks filled with fun, not hunger pangs.

— diane whitmore schanzenbach, Time, "How You Can Help Save Local Kids From Going Hungry This Summer," 18 July 2017
Simply put, these institutions are a part of our country’s history and deserve to live.

— mary-pat hector, Essence.com, "Spelman's Mary-Pat Hector Pens Powerful Letter To Omarosa & Donald Trump About Lack Of HBCU Funding," 12 July 2017
Vile and threatening comments on social media to myself and my family isn't deserved.

— luke kerr-dineen, USA TODAY, "Cyclist hits out at 'vile' social media backlash," 6 July 2017
Our list includes recent titles as well as some oldies that deserve reacquaintance.

— peter manso, Car and Driver, "Sixteen Books Every Auto Enthusiast Should Read," 3 July 2017
But Bowen said that, in his view, meeting minimum requirements shouldn’t need and didn’t deserve bonus pay.

— patrick malone, Science | AAAS, "A near-disaster at a federal nuclear weapons," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'deserve.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.