unrewarding

adjective

un·​re·​ward·​ing ˌən-ri-ˈwȯr-diŋ How to pronounce unrewarding (audio)
: failing to provide satisfaction or a reward : not rewarding
unrewarding work
unrewardingly adverb

Examples of unrewarding in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The drama stars Cici Wang as Monkey, a backstage theater worker facing unemployment after years of unrewarding work. Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 28 Aug. 2025 These plants are often altogether unrewarding for pollinators, since the flowers no longer produce nectar or pollen. Claire Therese Hemingway, The Conversation, 18 Aug. 2025 Quiet firing is when an employer deliberately makes a job so unrewarding, isolating or stagnant that the employee feels pressured to quit, rather than being formally terminated. Alora Bopray, USA Today, 12 Aug. 2025 Here, Reader, is a run-through of Austen movies and limited TV series, from my favorite through least favorite — though Austen's novels are surprisingly sturdy, if approached with fondness and respect, and only the last of these would be considered unrewarding. Tom Gliatto, People.com, 19 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for unrewarding

Word History

First Known Use

1651, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of unrewarding was in 1651

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Cite this Entry

“Unrewarding.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/unrewarding. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

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