What does Deserve mean?

Definitions for Deserve
dɪˈzɜrvde·serve

This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word Deserve.

Princeton's WordNet

  1. deserve, meritverb

    be worthy or deserving

    "You deserve a promotion after all the hard work you have done"

Wiktionary

  1. deserveverb

    To be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have.

  2. deserveverb

    To earn, win.

  3. deserveverb

    To reward, to give in return for service.

  4. Etymology: From deservir, from deservire, from de- + servire.

Samuel Johnson's Dictionary

  1. To DESERVEverb

    Etymology: deservir, French.

    Those they honoured, as having power to work or cease, as men deserved of them. Richard Hooker, b. i.

    Some of us love you well; and ev’n those some
    Envy your great deservings, and good name. William Shakespeare, Hen. IV.

    All friends shall taste
    The wages of their virtue, and all foes
    The cup of their deservings. William Shakespeare, King Lear.

    What he deserves of you and me I know. William Shakespeare, H. VIII.

    Yet well, if here would end
    The misery: I deserv’d it, and would bear
    My own deservings. John Milton, Paradise Lost, b. x. l. 727.

    Courts are the places where best manners flourish,
    Where the deserving ought to rise. Thomas Otway, Orphan.

    A mother cannot give him death; though he
    Deserves it, he deserves it not from me. John Dryden, Ovid.

    Since my Orazia’s death I have not seen
    A beauty so deserving to be queen,

    He had been a person of great deservings from the republick, was an admirable speaker, and very popular. Jonathan Swift.

    According to the rule of natural justice one man may merit and deserve of another. Robert South, Sermons.

Wikipedia

  1. deserve

    Desert () in philosophy is the condition of being deserving of something, whether good or bad. It is sometimes called moral desert to clarify the intended usage and distinguish it from the dry desert biome. It is a concept often associated with justice: that good deeds should be rewarded and evil deeds punished.

ChatGPT

  1. deserve

    Deserve generally refers to being worthy or entitled to something based on one's actions, qualities, or circumstances. It implies that an individual has earned or is deserving of a particular treatment, reward, or outcome.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Deserveverb

    to earn by service; to be worthy of (something due, either good or evil); to merit; to be entitled to; as, the laborer deserves his wages; a work of value deserves praise

  2. Deserveverb

    to serve; to treat; to benefit

  3. Deserveverb

    to be worthy of recompense; -- usually with ill or with well

  4. Etymology: [OF. deservir, desservir, to merit, L. deservire to serve zealously, be devoted to; de- + servire to serve. See Serve.]

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary

  1. Deserve

    de-zėrv′, v.t. to earn by service: to merit.—v.i. to be worthy of reward.—adj. Deserv′ing, worthy.—n. desert.—advs. Deserv′ingly, Deserv′edly, according to desert: justly. [Fr.,—L. deservīrede, inten., servīre, to serve.]

Matched Categories

British National Corpus

  1. Written Corpus Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Deserve' in Written Corpus Frequency: #4748

  2. Verbs Frequency

    Rank popularity for the word 'Deserve' in Verbs Frequency: #557

Usage in printed sourcesFrom: 

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Numerology

  1. Chaldean Numerology

    The numerical value of Deserve in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

  2. Pythagorean Numerology

    The numerical value of Deserve in Pythagorean Numerology is: 6

Examples of Deserve in a Sentence

  1. David Valadao:

    There is no doubt we are disappointed in the results but we can take pride in knowing that we brought about real, tangible change, we have reduced taxes for middle class families, made huge strides in our battle for water, reformed the dairy industry for thousands of California farmers, improved access to healthcare for families throughout the Central Valley, and given our troops the support they deserve.

  2. Cecilia Tomori:

    We are asking for social support, structural social support from governments and systems to help people achieve their breastfeeding goals, we want to make sure that they understand that it is not up to individual women and mothers to do breastfeeding, that it’s actually their right, and it is part of health as a human right that they have all the support and the enabling environments that they deserve.

  3. Rahm Emanuel:

    Every one of us was sickened by the recent murder of Nykea Aldridge while she pushed a baby carriage down the street to register her kids, and what makes it even worse is that her murder might have been prevented if her alleged perpetrators had been given the sentence they deserve for previous crimes.

  4. Mike Rounds:

    Nobody is out looking for confrontations, what we are looking for is to be able to provide good information in a timely fashion, but to be seen as being responsible and being honest. I think that's what the American people deserve. And I think that's what many of us want to do. We're not looking to fight. What we're looking is, is to say here are the facts, and they're not going to change.

  5. Billy Murphy:

    I am sure that the family is concerned, and I am positive that they are against what is beginning to develop here in town, they don't deserve this any more than Freddie Gray deserved it.

Popularity rank by frequency of use

Deserve#1#8336#10000

Translations for Deserve

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"Deserve." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 22 Jan. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/Deserve>.

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    the verbal act of urging on
    A hypostatization
    B howdah
    C instigation
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