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
Jocelyn Noveck, Boston Herald, 13 June 2025
In the end, our panel named three favorite mint chip pints—each with their own merits—as well as one ice cream deserving of an honorable mention.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 July 2025
Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Highly deserving of its praise, having won the Nobel Prize in 2022, The Years is constantly moving, mimicking how time might feel stagnant and yet flashing before our eyes.
—Vogue, 29 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for deserving
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Noun
Again, Song is writing about a triangle of a woman and two men, each deserving of our empathy and understanding (no cad-like Hugh Grant character here).
—Jocelyn Noveck, Boston Herald, 13 June 2025
In the end, our panel named three favorite mint chip pints—each with their own merits—as well as one ice cream deserving of an honorable mention.
—Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 23 July 2025
Adjective
Now the Spurs have Fox, Castle, and Harper—three point guards all deserving of minutes.
—Brian Sampson, Forbes.com, 31 July 2025
Highly deserving of its praise, having won the Nobel Prize in 2022, The Years is constantly moving, mimicking how time might feel stagnant and yet flashing before our eyes.
—Vogue, 29 July 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 20 Aug. 2025.
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