deserving

1 of 2

noun

de·​serv·​ing di-ˈzər-viŋ 

: desert, merit

reward the proud according to their deservings

—Charles Kingsley

deserving

2 of 2

adjective

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

Synonyms

Adjective

• worthy
• meritorious
• good

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

Noun

Which is a real bird and 100% deserving of its name. —Caleb Harris, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

Another outstanding release Volvo, and deserving of World Car Award accolades in my opinion. —Marc D Grasso, Hartford Courant, 7 June 2025

Adjective

Memorable, inventive, and fully deserving of its place on the list, this one’s for the adventurous. —Lela London, Forbes.com, 14 July 2025

Buxton was named to the American League All-Star team on Sunday as the Twins’ lone representative with other deserving candidates like starter Joe Ryan and closer Jhoan Duran on the outside looking in. —Betsy Helfand, Twin Cities, 6 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English deserving, deservinge, from gerund of deserven "to deserve"

Adjective

from present participle of deserve

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for deserving

• conserving
• observing
• preserving
• reserving
• subserving
• unnerving
• unswerving
• curving
• serving
• swerving
• undeserving

Kids Definition

deserving

adjective

de·​serv·​ing

di-ˈzər-viŋ

: worthy entry 1 sense 2

especially : worthy of financial help

aid for deserving families