DESERVE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does deserve mean? 

• DESERVE (verb)
  The verb DESERVE has 1 sense:

1. be worthy or deserving

  Familiarity information: DESERVE used as a verb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• DESERVE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they deserve    ... he / she / it deserves   
Past simple: deserved   
Past participle: deserved   
-ing form: deserving   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Be worthy or deserving

Classified under:

Verbs of being, having, spatial relations

Synonyms:

deserve; merit

Context example:

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

Hypernyms (to "deserve" is one way to...):

be (have the quality of being; (copula, used with an adjective or a predicate noun))

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "deserve"):

have it coming (deserve (either good or bad))

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Something ----s something

 Context examples 

I must hope, however, that time, proving him (as I firmly believe it will) to deserve you by his steady affection, will give him his reward.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

These stupid old lips of mine and this stupid old head do not deserve so; but you will forget it, will you not?

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

When you get a dollar, hang on to it. A man who leaves his money lying around, the way you did, deserves to lose it.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

Lady Russell, indeed, had scarcely any influence with Elizabeth, and seemed to love her, rather because she would love her, than because Elizabeth deserved it.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Deal with him as he deserves!

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Another night Dub and Joe fought Spitz and made him forego the punishment they deserved.

(The Call of the Wild, by Jack London)

Sleep, or repose that deserved the name of sleep, was out of the question.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

This case deserves to be a classic.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

“You don’t deserve much consideration, Brunton,” I answered.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

You then roused his anger by calling him names at a moment when he felt that he had deserved your warmest thanks.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)