as in worthy
having sufficient worth or merit to receive one's honor, esteem, or reward
gifts donated to deserving children every Christmas
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in earning
to be or make worthy of (as a reward or punishment)
the team really deserved that victory after the way they played
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of deserving
Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 10 Feb. 2026
The responsibility is to pick the most deserving.
—Josh Dubow, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026
News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Both players are deserving of the honor.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deserving
Adjective
The postgame celebration was deserving of the big stage.
—Shreyas Laddha, Kansas City Star, 10 Feb. 2026
The responsibility is to pick the most deserving.
—Josh Dubow, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2026
Verb
Thanks to donations by generous community members, as well as members of the Del Sol Lions Club, 24 new bicycles were recently presented to deserving students in the Casa de Amistad tutoring program, a news release stated.
—News Release, San Diego Union-Tribune, 26 Jan. 2026
Both players are deserving of the honor.
—Tony Blengino, Forbes.com, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for deserving
Recent Examples of Synonyms for deserving
Adjective
-
Their coverage includes 116 medal-worthy events in 16 sports, some of which, like ski mountaineering, will be making their Olympic debut.—
Nick Vivarelli,
Variety,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Valentine’s Day is all about reds and pinks, applied in whatever way feels swoon-worthy to you.—
Calin Van Paris,
InStyle,
5 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Liu surprised fans when retiring a month after earning a bronze medal at the ‘22 World Championships.—
Elliott Almond,
Mercury News,
5 Feb. 2026
-
Indiana Senate passes under-the-radar provision scrapping 'low-earning' college degrees.—
Evan Frank,
IndyStar,
5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Educators presented with the award of meritorious service have gone above and beyond in service to their school communities, the state board said.—
Michelle Mullins,
Chicago Tribune,
13 Feb. 2026
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Too many courts for too long have avoided grappling with legitimate and meritorious challenges to election rules by dismissing cases on standing grounds.—
Ashley Lopez,
NPR,
14 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Meanwhile, makeup artists think spring breakers will pack their best cushion-y, cloud lips instead of their icy alternatives.—
Kaleigh Werner,
Footwear News,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Kansas City figured its best sales pitch centered on its facilities and its location in the heart of America.—
Sam McDowell
Updated February 13,
Kansas City Star,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Deserving.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/deserving. Accessed 19 Feb. 2026.
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