de·serv·ing
di-ˈzər-viŋ 
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
Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2025
While a revision of that size is arguably a statistical anomaly, and deserving of looking into, President Trump instead decided to fire the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner in charge of the report.
—Jj Kinahan, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
Mascherano went on to say that Messi, his former teammate with FC Barcelona and Argentina’s national team, is deserving of the MVP award, as well.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserving
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
Further, these books present disabled experience as worthy of study and analysis, and deserving of the same care and attention that any literary work demands.
—Sophia Stewart, The Atlantic, 18 Aug. 2025
While a revision of that size is arguably a statistical anomaly, and deserving of looking into, President Trump instead decided to fire the Bureau of Labor Statistics commissioner in charge of the report.
—Jj Kinahan, Forbes.com, 4 Aug. 2025
Adjective
At the same time, these companies are crowding out more deserving applicants.
—Bloomberg Opinion, Twin Cities, 17 Oct. 2025
Mascherano went on to say that Messi, his former teammate with FC Barcelona and Argentina’s national team, is deserving of the MVP award, as well.
—Michelle Kaufman, Miami Herald, 17 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserving
Cite this Entry
“Deserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/deserving. Accessed 25 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share