verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
Australian, Received-Pronunciation:/dɪˈzɜːv/
General-American:/dɪˈzɝv/
General-American:/dəˈzɝv/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Northumbria:/dɪˈzɑːv/
rhymes with -ɜː(ɹ)v
CMU ARPABET:D IH0 Z ER1 V
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
To be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Examples
After playing so well, the team really deserved their win.
After what he did, he deserved to go to prison.
We don't think your article deserves reading.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
To earn, win.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To reward, to give in return for service.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To serve; to treat; to benefit.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete
Examples
c. 1619–22, Philip Massinger and John Fletcher, A Very Woman A man that hath / So well deserved me.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
be worthy or deserving
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
You deserve a promotion after all the hard work you have done
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: merit
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: be
Narrower terms: have it coming
History
Etymology
From Middle English deserven, from Old French deservir, from Latin dēserviō, from dē- + serviō.
Across languages
Translations
89 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Afrikaans:
verdien
— to merit
Arabic:
اِسْتَحَقَّ
(istaḥaqqa)
— to merit
Arabic:
استحق
(istaḥaʔʔ)
— to merit
Arabic:
اِسْتاهَل
(istaahaal)
— to merit
Belarusian:
заслу́жваць
(zaslúžvacʹ)
— to merit
Belarusian:
заслуго́ўваць
(zasluhówvacʹ)
— to merit
Belarusian:
заслужы́ць
(zaslužýcʹ)
— to merit
Bulgarian:
заслужа́вам
(zaslužávam)
— to merit
Bulgarian:
заслу́жа
(zaslúža)
— to merit
Catalan:
merèixer
— to merit
Catalan:
meritar
— to merit
Chinese Mandarin:
值得
(zhíde)
— to merit
Chinese Mandarin:
應受 /应受
(yīngshòu)
— to merit
Ngazidja Comorian:
ustahiki
— to merit
Cornish:
deservya
— to merit
Corsican:
mirità
— to merit
Corsican:
merità
— to merit
Czech:
zasloužit
— to merit
Czech:
zasloužit si
— to merit
Danish:
fortjene
— to merit
Dutch:
verdienen
— to merit
Esperanto:
meriti
— to merit
Faroese:
hava uppiborið
— to merit
Finnish:
ansaita
— to merit
French:
mériter
— to merit
Friulian:
mertâ
— to merit
Galician:
merecer
— to merit
German:
verdienen
— to merit
Greek:
αξίζω
(axízo)
— to merit
Hindi:
लायक़
(lāyaq)
— to merit
Hungarian:
érdemel
— to merit
Hungarian:
megérdemel
— to merit
Hungarian:
kiérdemel
— to merit
Hungarian:
megszolgál
— to merit
Hungarian:
rászolgál
— to merit
Icelandic:
eiga skilið
— to merit
Italian:
meritare
— to merit
Italian:
meritarsi
— to merit
Japanese:
値する
(ataisuru)
— to merit
Latin:
mereō
— to merit
Lithuanian:
nusipelnyti
— to merit
Macedonian:
заслужува
(zaslužuva)
— to merit
Macedonian:
заслужи
(zasluži)
— to merit
Norwegian Bokmål:
fortjene
— to merit
Norwegian Nynorsk:
fortena
— to merit
Norwegian Nynorsk:
fortene
— to merit
Persian:
سزاوار بودن
(sazâvâr budan)
— to merit
Polish:
zasługiwać
— to merit
Polish:
zasłużyć
— to merit
Portuguese:
merecer
— to merit
Romanian:
merita
— to merit
Romansh:
meritar
— to merit
Romansh:
maritar
— to merit
Romansh:
miritar
— to merit
Romansh:
meriter
— to merit
Russian:
заслу́живать
(zaslúživatʹ)
— to merit
Russian:
заслужи́ть
(zaslužítʹ)
— to merit
Sanskrit:
अर्हति
(arhati)
— to merit
Sardinian:
manesci
— to merit
Sardinian:
menèsciri
— to merit
Sardinian:
merèschere
— to merit
Sardinian:
medèsciri
— to merit
Sardinian:
meresci
— to merit
Sardinian:
merèsciri
— to merit
Sardinian:
merèssere
— to merit
Sardinian:
meritai
— to merit
Sardinian:
meritare
— to merit
Serbo-Croatian:
заслу́жити
— to merit
Serbo-Croatian:
заврије́дјети
— to merit
Serbo-Croatian:
завре́дети
— to merit
Serbo-Croatian:
zaslúžiti
— to merit
Serbo-Croatian:
zavrijédjeti
— to merit
Serbo-Croatian:
zavrédeti
— to merit
Sicilian:
miritari
— to merit
Slovak:
zaslúžiť si
— to merit
Slovene:
zaslužiti
— to merit
Spanish:
merecer
— to merit
Spanish:
meritar
— to merit
Spanish:
ameritar
— to merit
Swahili:
stahiki
— to merit
Swedish:
förtjäna
— to merit
Telugu:
అర్హత కలిగి ఉండిన
(arhata kaligi uṇḍina)
— to merit
Turkish:
hak etmek
— to merit
Ukrainian:
заслуго́вувати
(zasluhóvuvaty)
— to merit
