deserve — to have earned or to be given something because of the way you have behaved or the qualities you have
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to have earned or to be given something because of the way you have behaved or the qualities you have
Pronunciation (IPA): /dɪˈzɜːrv/
Example Sentences
- My cat thinks he deserves five meals a day just for being cute.
- Students who cheat on exams deserve to fail.
- After cleaning the entire house, I deserve a Netflix marathon.
deserve
VERB[/dɪˈzɜːrv/]
to have earned or to be given something because of the way you have behaved or the qualities you have
The firefighter deserved everyone's respect after risking his life to save the family.
The volunteer deserved the community award after years of serving others. (SERVE → People often deserve rewards because they serve others faithfully.)
They deserved to preserve the historic theater, so the city reserved money for its restoration.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
Derived from Latin 'deservire', a compound of 'de-' (completely) and 'servire' (to serve). The original sense of 'to serve faithfully or completely' evolved semantically to mean 'to be worthy of' or 'to have earned by one's actions'.
Breakdown
de- (completely, thoroughly) + servire (to serve). The prefix intensifies the verb, transforming the literal sense of serving into the figurative meaning of earning or being worthy of something through one's conduct.
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat thinks he deserves five meals a day just for being cute.”
“Students who cheat on exams deserve to fail.”
“After cleaning the entire house, I deserve a Netflix marathon.”
“Hard-working employees deserve better working conditions.”
“My phone battery dies so fast, it deserves an award for worst performance.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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