Synonyms of deserving

deserving 1 of 2

adjective

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

• worthy
• meritorious
• good
• special
• admirable
• commendable
• creditable
• excellent
• invaluable
• exceptional
• praiseworthy
• primary
• cherished
• laudable
• priceless
• prime
• choice
• prized
• fancy
• treasured
• high-grade

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• worthless
• inferior
• undeserving
• no-good
• cheap
• base
• substandard
• bad
• valueless
• defective
• imperfect
• inadequate
• insufficient
• deficient
• unsatisfactory
• unacceptable
• second-rate
• flawed

deserving

2 of 2

verb

present participle of deserve

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

• earning
• meriting
• rating
• qualifying
• entitling

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of deserving

Adjective

While the Northeast likes to make a fuss over lobster, the South welcomes stone crab season with equal reverence, and, in my opinion, every bit as deserving of the hype. — Alexandra Emanuelli, Southern Living, 16 Aug. 2026

Roberts captures these and pays warm-hearted tribute to his fellow obituarists as well as their deserving (and sometimes undeserving) subjects. — Literary Hub, 14 Aug. 2026

Verb

All that time, deserving young women were losing their spots on the team or their places atop the podium. — Riley Gaines Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026

The ongoing explosion of revival screenings in Los Angeles is an opportunity not just to revisit accepted classics, but also to give a spotlight to undersung oddball picks deserving of broader attention. — Mark Olsen, Los Angeles Times, 6 Aug. 2026