/deserve-definition

/deserve/

-) Verb.

-) Pronunciation and accent: dɪzɜːv. 

-) Etymology: from Old French deservir, from Latin deservire (to serve zealously), from de- + servire (to serve).

-) Preterite tense: deserved (dɪˈzɜːvd). 

-) Preterite participle: deserved.

-) Present participle: deserving.

-) documented since 1300.

-) Transitively: 1. (Of someone): -) a. To become a deserver of; to be or become worthy of (something good; as reward, esteem, etc.) in consideration of one’s service, one’s meritorious action, one’s quality; to merit by service. By extension: to become deservedly liable to (evil), in consideration of one’s disservice, one’s misbehavior, one’s fault, one’s ill deed, etc. -) b. To earn or enjoy (something good; as reward, esteem, etc.) by the merit of one’s service, one’s action, one’s quality; to be worthy to have. By extension: to undergo (something unpleasant) in requital for one’s disservice, one’s misbehavior, one’s fault, etc.

-) Translation: mériter, in French; merecer, in Spanish; meritare, in Italian.

-) Synonym: to merit.

I have only to thank you for your rebukes, and for speaking of me better than I deserve.

The Repository of arts, literature… 1824

[This person] deserves all the respect they showed him.

C. Snow… A History of Boston… 1837

The fury of the beast, who no doubt bore still in mind the dreaded whip, was instantly converted into fear. Conscious of having deserved punishment, it seemed desirous of concealing its bloody deeds. 

Edgar Poe… 1841

"This is good news, indeed," cried Sampson Harrop, joyfully, while the others joined in his exclamation. "We all rejoice in Alizon's good fortune, and think she richly deserves it."

Ainsworth… The Lancashire Witches… 1848

-) With an infinitive as the object:

 The inhabitants of the city, who deserve rather to be ranked among beasts, looked at us with as much astonishment as if they had never seen any other men than ourselves.

R. Kerr… Voyages and Travels… 1824

… I did not love you as you deserved to be loved.

E. Braddon… Fenton's Quest… 1871

I congratulate you. You deserved to win.

Frederick Gibbon… A Tale… 1904

-) 2. (Of something) to become worthy of; to have merit enough to become the object of (an action or a process implying good); to be so qualified as to be suitable for.

"The scheme was certainly a very ingenious one," continued Talbot, "and deserved success.

George Reynolds… The mysteries of London 1844  

… a small grass-plot, for it scarcely deserved the name of lawn…

C. Cameron… Lights and shadows… 1855

The buildings alone of this interesting institution are well deserving attention.

C. Frances… Paris in 1841… 1842

-) 3. Obsolete: to earn or win (something) for someone to enjoy it, use, etc.

-) 4. Obsolete: to do service to.

-) Intransitively: to be worthy of recompense; to merit.

[I] am able and willing to recompense your services as they deserve.

V. Williams… The Man… 1918

-) In the phrases “to deserve well” and “to deserve well of”, the adverb “well” is rather pleonastic:

If any man deserve well in his office he shall be rewarded.

R. Burton… The Anatomy of Melancholy… 1621

… and he would deserve well of this country, who, instead of amusing himself with conjectural speculations, should find means of persuading the peer to inspect his steward's accounts, or repair the rural mansion of his ancestors.

S. Johnson… The Adventurer and Idler… 1796

Whether these things be so or not, most certain it is, that the lady or the gentleman deserves well of the society, who can devise any method whereby so valuable an amusement can be heightened and improved.

Nathan Drake… The Gleaner… 1811

They deserve well for what they have done.

The Telescope… 1824

… he will indeed deserve well for having catered so liberally and successfully for a rich feast of musical as well as dramatic art.

Jacob's Belles Lettres… 1864

-) Words derived from Latin servire, see DESERT.

-) Words derived from the verb DESERVE: deservedly, deserver, desert, deserved, deservedness, deserving, deservingly, undeserve, undeservedly, undeservedness, undeserver, undeserving, undeservingly.