undeserved

adjective

un·​de·​served ˌən-di-ˈzərvd How to pronounce undeserved (audio)
: not earned or deserved : not justified or merited
undeserved criticism/praise
an undeserved reputation
undeservedly adverb
a plan that has been undeservedly criticized
undeservedness noun

Examples of undeserved in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Once in office, Reagan aggressively advanced the idea that racial-justice efforts had run amok, that Black Americans were getting undeserved racial advantages across society and that white Americans constituted the primary victims of discrimination. Nikole Hannah-Jones, New York Times, 13 Mar. 2024 After golf, Lori flexes the undeserved handicap sticker on her Porsche and advises Larry to work on his short game. Ethan Shanfeld, Variety, 11 Mar. 2024 But if basals continue to get undeserved greens for knowledge-building and usability, the progress that has been made could be lost. Natalie Wexler, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 Sam Ricketts never responded to the offer, instead choosing to seek out an undeserved and lucrative payout through this unfounded legal battle. Eleanor McCrary, The Courier-Journal, 14 Feb. 2024 None of these companies have offered a patch to the behavior of people who want to spend more than $100 and risk lifetime bans to earn undeserved points worth no tradable value. Eric Berger, Ars Technica, 25 Jan. 2024 The two organizations have expanded their Trading Challenge to new universities, allowing more students from undeserved communities to learn key skills in navigating the capital markets. Jasmine Browley, Essence, 25 Jan. 2024 The revelation earned Minhaj plenty of online backlash, which Goldberg believes is undeserved. Shania Russell, EW.com, 18 Sep. 2023 For 48 years, one month and 18 days, Glynn Simmons was trapped in an undeserved hell. Timothy Bella, Washington Post, 24 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'undeserved.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of undeserved was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near undeserved

Cite this Entry

“Undeserved.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/undeserved. Accessed 17 Apr. 2024.

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