Serve — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

verb noun /ˈsərv/

Meaning & Definition of Serve

Serve (verb)

  1. to be a servant
  2. to do military or naval service
  3. to assist a celebrant as server at mass

Serve (noun)

  1. the act or action of putting the ball or shuttlecock in play in various games (such as volleyball, badminton, or tennis); also, a turn to serve

Serve (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to be a servant for

    "he served his master faithfully for 20 years"

    similar: slave (for), work (for), dance attendance (upon), wait on
    related: attend, minister (to), tend (to)

  2. to be enough

    "they made the pasta serve for eight guests"

    similar: do, suffice
    related: answer, suit, assuage, content, quench, sate, satiate, satisfy

  3. to be fitting or proper

    "those old riding boots will serve for now, but you'll need newer ones for the horse show"

    similar: befit, beseem (archaic), do, fit (archaic), go, suit, fill the bill
    related: satisfy, suffice, function, work

  4. to behave toward in a stated way

    "my parents served me well in preparing me for life"

    similar: act (toward), be (to), deal (with), handle, treat, use, do by
    related: consider, esteem, rate, reckon, regard, view, engage (with), react (to), respond (to)

  5. to have a certain purpose

    "the harsh punishment served to teach everyone a lesson"

    similar: act, function, perform, work
    related: operate, run, administer, carry on, control, direct, guide, handle, manage, oversee, regulate, supervise

  6. to provide with something useful or desirable

    "an excellent college that served her with the skills necessary to make it in today's job market"

    similar: advantage, avail, benefit, help, profit
    related: succeed, work (for), aid, assist, better, improve, content, delight, gladden, gratify, please, satisfy, bless
    near: hinder, impede, damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, afflict, distress, upset

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Serve

The most common words with a similar meaning to Serve:

Archaic: beseem, fit
slave (for), work (for), do, suffice, befit, go, suit, act (toward), be (to), deal (with), handle, treat, use, act, function, perform, work, advantage, avail, benefit, help, profit, dance attendance (upon), wait on, fill the bill, do by

Related Words for Serve

attend, minister (to), tend (to), answer, assuage, content, quench, sate, satiate, satisfy, consider, esteem, rate, reckon, regard, view, engage (with), react (to), respond (to), operate, run, administer, carry on, control, direct, guide, manage, oversee, regulate, supervise

Near Antonyms of Serve

hinder, impede, damage, harm, hurt, impair, injure, afflict, distress, upset

Word Forms of Serve

Inflections: served, serving

Origin & Etymology of Serve

Middle English serven, sarven "to perform a duty, be employed, assume the role of personal attendant, be of use (of a body part), perform religious rites, provide food and drink (to people at a table), deliver (a legal writ)," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French servir, borrowed from Medieval Latin serviō, servīre, going back to Latin, "to perform duties for (a master) in the capacity of a slave, act in subservience, be at the service of," verbal derivative of servus "slave," perhaps, if the original sense was "watcher (of flocks), guardian," derivative with the nominal suffix *-u̯o-, of the Indo-European verbal base *ser- "keep watch on, guard," whence, with varying ablaut and derivation, Greek (Homeric) epì…órontai "they kept watch over," Greek éphoros "watcher, overseer," phrourós "guard, watchman" (< *pro-horós), phrourā́ "guard duty," Avestan nišhauruuaiti "(s/he) keeps watch on" (from a stem *har-u̯a-), pasuš.hauruua "guarding the flock (of a dog)," harətar- "watcher, guardian"

First known use: 13th centuryi

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Serve

Words & Phrases Containing Serve

serve one right, serve a purpose, serve no purpose, serve notice, serve out, serve the interests of, serve the needs, serve time

Frequently Asked Questions about Serve

What does "Serve" mean?

"Serve" means to be a servant. As an a verb and a noun, it is defined as: to be a servant. It has 6 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Serve"?

Other words for "Serve" include slave (for), work (for), do, suffice, befit, beseem, fit and go. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Serve" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Serve"?

There are 68 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Serve". Common alternatives include slave (for), work (for), do, suffice, befit, beseem, fit, go, suit and act (toward).

How do you use "Serve" in a sentence?

Examples of "Serve" in a sentence: "he served his master faithfully for 20 years"; "they made the pasta serve for eight guests"; "those old riding boots will serve for now, but you'll need newer ones for the horse show".

Is "Serve" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Serve" can be used as a verb and a noun, depending on the context.

Is "Serve" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Serve" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Serve"?

"Serve" is pronounced /ˈsərv/.

What is the origin of the word "Serve"?

"Serve" comes from Middle English serven, sarven "to perform a duty, be employed, assume the role of personal attendant, be of use (of a body part), perform religious rites, provide food and drink (to people at a table), deliver (a legal writ)," borrowed from Anglo-French & Medieval Latin; Anglo-French servir, borrowed from Medieval Latin serviō, servīre, going back to Latin, "to perform duties for (a master) in the capacity of a slave, act in subservience, be at the service of," verbal derivative of servus "slave," perhaps, if the original sense was "watcher (of flocks), guardian," derivative with the nominal suffix *-u̯o-, of the Indo-European verbal base *ser- "keep watch on, guard," whence, with varying ablaut and derivation, Greek (Homeric) epì…órontai "they kept watch over," Greek éphoros "watcher, overseer," phrourós "guard, watchman" (< *pro-horós), phrourā́ "guard duty," Avestan nišhauruuaiti "(s/he) keeps watch on" (from a stem *har-u̯a-), pasuš.hauruua "guarding the flock (of a dog)," harətar- "watcher, guardian". First known use: 13th centuryi.