Spanish Conversation · Level 155
28 words
Spanish word
merecer
Pronunciation
IPA/meɾeˈθeɾ/
Meaning
- verbdeserve
Example
Él merece respeto.
He deserves respect.
More examples
Este libro merece la pena.
This book is worth reading.
Core concept
A right earned through one's merits to receive praise, compensation, or fair treatment.
Common phrases
merecer la pena
be worth reading
merecer respeto
deserve respect
merecer la confianza
deserve trust
Similar words
ganar: Earn a prize, money, or reward by succeeding in effort, trial, or competition.
valer: Be considered to have worth or usefulness; have meaning in a given context.
obtener: Acquire possession of something or a role through effort, application, or formal process.
meritar: Be deemed worthy of official recognition or reward because demonstrated merits justify it.
Definition in Spanish
Tener motivo o derecho para recibir algo, como reconocimiento, premio o trato adecuado, por los méritos propios.
Word origin
Cognate with mérito and ultimately from Latin merēre/merēri 'to earn', where mer- conveys 'gain', giving merecer the sense of deserving something.
Usage tips
- Unlike English deserve, merecer commonly appears in set expressions such as merecer la pena meaning 'to be worth it', often used in the negative as no merece la pena.
Other meanings
- warrantverb
Opposites
- desmerecerdetract fromverb
Related words
- merecimientomeritnoun
- merecedordeservingadjective
- merecidodeservedadjective