French word

mériter

Pronunciation

IPA/meʁite/

Meaning

  • verbdeserve

Example

Il mérite cette récompense.

He deserves this reward.

Illustration for mériter (deserve)

More examples

Après tant d'efforts, elle mérite une pause.

After all that effort, she deserves a break.

Core concept

A person, act, or quality stands as grounds for receiving something favorable.

Common phrases

  • mériter une récompense

    deserve a reward

  • mériter sa confiance

    deserve ___'s trust

  • mériter une pause

    deserve a break

Similar words

valoir: Have enough value to justify spending money, time, or attention.
gagner: Earn a reward or status as the result of effort or competition.

Definition in French

Être digne d'obtenir une récompense, une reconnaissance ou un avantage à cause d'un acte, d'un effort ou d'une qualité.

Word origin

The verb comes through Old French from Latin meritare, a form related to mereri, and kept the sense of being worthy of a result.

Usage tips

  • A following clause uses mériter que with the subjunctive, as in Il mérite qu'on le récompense.

Opposites

  • démériterlose meritverb

Related words

  • méritemeritnoun
  • méritédeservedadjective

Word lists with this word