DESERVING, participle present tense 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, noun The act of meriting; desert; merit. If ye have done to him according to the deserving of his hands. Judges 9:16.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI