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Deserve vs Owed - What's the difference?

deserve | owed |

As verbs the difference between deserve and owed

is that deserve is to be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have while owed is (owe).

As an adjective owed is

that owes.

deserve

English

Verb

  • To be entitled to, as a result of past actions; to be worthy to have.
  • :After playing so well, the team really deserved their win .
  • :After what he did, he deserved to go to prison .
  • :This argument deserves a closer examination.
  • *Bible, Job xi. 6
  • *:God exacteth of thee less than thine iniquity deserveth .
  • *Thackeray
  • *:John Gay deserved to be a favourite.
  • (obsolete) To earn, win.
  • *1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , III.vii:
  • *:That gentle Lady, whom I loue and serue, / After long suit and weary seruicis, / Did aske me, how I could her loue deserue , / And how she might be sure, that I would neuer swerue.
  • (obsolete) To reward, to give in return for service.
  • *:
  • *:Gramercy saide the kynge / & I lyue sir Lambegus I shal deserue hit / And thenne sir Lambegus armed hym / and rode after as fast as he myghte
  • (obsolete) To serve; to treat; to benefit.
  • *Massinger
  • *:A man that hath / So well deserved me.
  • Synonyms

    * merit * See also

    Usage notes

    * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See

    Anagrams

    *

    owed

    English

    Verb

    (head)
  • (owe)
  • Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • That owes.
  • Derived terms

    * owedness