Standard Lemma guide

deservedly

adv · 2 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.

  • UK: /dɪˈzɜːvɪdli/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D IH0 Z ER1 V AH0 D L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a way or to a degree that is deserved or merited.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Qualifier: degree

Topics: manner

Examples

  • 1847-48, William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair, 2008, Digireads.com Publishing, page 437, Emmy, he remembered, was at one time cruelly and deservedly jealous of Rebecca, [...] .
  • 1986, Facts on File, Editorials on File, Volume 17, Part 2, Infobase Publishing, page 949, The vote for Scalia was unanimous, and deservedly so.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

as deserved

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he chalked up two goals which deservedly gave Bolton their second victory of the season

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: undeservedly

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English deserved Middle English -ly English -ly English deservedly From deserved + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Finnish: ansaitusti — in a manner that is deserved
  • Galician: merecidamente — in a manner that is deserved
  • German: verdientermaßen — in a manner that is deserved
  • Hungarian: megérdemelten — in a manner that is deserved
  • Hungarian: méltán — in a manner that is deserved
  • Latin: meritō — in a manner that is deserved
  • Polish: zasłużenie — in a manner that is deserved
  • Portuguese: merecidamente — in a manner that is deserved
  • Spanish: merecidamente — in a manner that is deserved