deserving

de·serv·ing
D2E1S1E1R1V4I1N1G2
US/dɪˈzɝvɪŋ/UK/dɪˈzɜːvɪŋ/

adjective

Worthy of reward or praise; meritorious.

“the deserving poor”

Similar
worthworthy
Opposite
undeserving
Less commonScrabble 14
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Meanings

adjectivedeserving (comparative more deserving, superlative most deserving)

comparative more deserving · superlative most deserving

  1. Worthy of reward or praise; meritorious.

    the deserving poor

  2. Meriting, worthy (reward, punishment etc.)

    In the midst of a world war many centenaries pass unnoticed, but one which fell on August 2, namely, the opening of Fenchurch Street station, is deserving of record.

    1941 September, “Notes and News: The London & Blackwall Cable Railway”, in Railway Magazine, pages 424–425
noundeserving (plural deservings)

plural deservings

  1. desert, merit

    I here understand that value which every man puts upon his own deservings from the publick

    1711, Jonathan Swift, The Examiner, Number 30
verb
  1. gerundparticiplepresentpresent participle and gerund of deserve

Synonyms & antonyms

Opposite
undeserving

adjective(often used ironically) worthy of being treated in a particular way

Similar
worthworthy
Also see
decorousmeritoriousrighteousvirtuousworthworthy

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Bulgarian похвален, достоен
  • похвален (pohvalen)worthy of reward or praise
  • достоен (dostoen)worthy of reward or praise
  • заслужаващ (zaslužavašt)meriting, worthy
  • заслуга (zasluga)desert, merit
  • достойнство (dostojnstvo)desert, merit
Catalan mereixedor
  • mereixedormeriting, worthy
Dutch loffelijk
  • loffelijkworthy of reward or praise
Esperanto inda
  • indameriting, worthy
German verdient
  • verdientmeriting, worthy
Hindi पात्र, योग्य
  • पात्र (pātra)worthy of reward or praise
  • योग्य (yogya)worthy of reward or praise
Latin dignus, dignus
  • dignusworthy of reward or praise
  • dignusmeriting, worthy
Portuguese merecedor
  • merecedormeriting, worthy
Spanish merecedor, digno
  • merecedormeriting, worthy
  • dignomeriting, worthy
Tagalog tampat, tampat
  • tampatworthy of reward or praise
  • tampatmeriting, worthy
Ukrainian схва́льний, гі́дний
  • схва́льний (sxválʹnyj)worthy of reward or praise
  • гі́дний (hídnyj)worthy of reward or praise
  • заслу́жений (zaslúženyj)meriting, worthy

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with deserving

servingobservingIrvingcurvingundeserving
All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

deserving. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deserving

MLA

“deserving.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deserving. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “deserving,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/deserving.

Source: deserving on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.