KJV Dictionary Definition: deserve

deserve

DESERVE, v.t. L. To serve.

1. To merit; to be worthy of; applied to good or evil.

2. To merit by labor or services; to have a just claim to an equivalent for good conferred. The laborer deserves his wages; he deserves the value of his services.

3. To merit by good actions or qualities in general; to be worthy of, on account of excellence. The virtuous man deserves esteem and commendation. A work of value deserves praise.

4. To be worthy of, in a bad sense; to merit by an evil act; as, to deserve blame or punishment.

God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth. Job 11.

DESERVE, v.i. To merit; to be worthy of or deserving; as, he deserves well or ill of his neighbor.

deserved

DESERVED, pp. Merited; worthy of.

deserver

DESERVER, n. He who deserves or merits; one who is worthy of; used generally in a good sense.

deserving

DESERVING, ppr.

1. Meriting; having a just claim to reward; justly meriting punishment.

2. Worthy of reward or praise; meritorious; possessed of good qualities that entitle to approbation; as a deserving officer.

DESERVING, n. The act of meriting; desert; merit.

If ye have done to him according to the deserving of his hands. Judges 9.

deservingly

DESERVINGLY, adv. Meritoriously; with just desert.

Definitions from Webster's American Dictionary of the English Language, 1828.
Previous word: desert. Next word: desirable.