undeserved

adjective

Definition of undeservednext
as in unfair

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of undeserved Canada’s capital doesn’t get the same buzz as Toronto or Montreal, and frankly, that’s undeserved. — Alexandra Emanuelli, Travel + Leisure, 18 June 2026 Shell countersued, alleging that Cipriani was attempting to exploit their fleeting relationship to shake him down for an undeserved payday. — Gene Maddaus, Variety, 11 June 2026 Bellow has long had a reputation for being conservative, stodgy, and tweedy, which is not undeserved. — Literary Hub, 4 June 2026 As a general rule, English sides tend to win European Cup finals against foreign opposition by not really competing in midfield and somehow scraping a somewhat ‘undeserved’ win. — Michael Cox, New York Times, 27 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for undeserved
Recent Examples of Synonyms for undeserved
  1. unfair
  2. undue
  3. unjustified
  4. unjust
  5. unmerited
  6. unwarranted
Adjective
  • The current administration filed its latest tariffs under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974, which states the president can enact levies against other nations in response to their unfair trade practices, The New York Times reported.
    — Nicole Hoey, Robb Report, 31 July 2026
  • This week wasn’t a total loss for SerpApi and Perplexity AI, which did manage to get Reddit’s unjust enrichment and unfair competition claims tossed, since they were both preempted by the Copyright Act.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
Definition of unfair
Adjective
  • Holscher adamantly denied that accusation and accused the governor’s office of attempting to exercise undue influence over the primary process.
    — Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 5 Aug. 2026
  • City officials and neighbors assert that the constant stream of vehicles at the charging stations create light and sound pollution and cause undue traffic congestion on the streets and nearby alleys, creating a collective bother and disruption.
    — Cyrus Farivar, ArsTechnica, 1 Aug. 2026
Definition of undue
Adjective
  • Against that backdrop, its share-price moves have drawn intense scrutiny as investors and analysts look for signs that the initial enthusiasm was unjustified.
    — Alastair Marsh, Fortune, 2 Aug. 2026
  • On Tuesday, a source close to Thrive Capital told CBS News that criticism of the firm's involvement was unjustified.
    — Faris Tanyos, CBS News, 31 July 2026
Definition of unjustified
Adjective
  • This week wasn’t a total loss for SerpApi and Perplexity AI, which did manage to get Reddit’s unjust enrichment and unfair competition claims tossed, since they were both preempted by the Copyright Act.
    — Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 31 July 2026
  • In confronting the army of the second Umayyad ruler of the dynasty, Husayn opposed a rule viewed as unjust and un-Islamic.
    — Iqbal Akhtar, The Conversation, 31 July 2026
Definition of unjust
Adjective
  • There’s barely a line of dialogue from any secondary character that doesn’t sound ripped from Twitter — not unmerited, just fatiguing.
    — Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2026
  • Amin had a penchant for strutting around in public wearing a military jacket full of flashy but unmerited awards.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 24 Jan. 2026
Definition of unmerited
Adjective
  • Today’s blog post further claimed that Old Reddit is leading to unwarranted content scraping.
    — Scharon Harding, ArsTechnica, 5 Aug. 2026
  • Furthermore, integrated video and POS data protect employees by quickly disproving false customer claims or unwarranted liability disputes.
    — Robert Messer, Forbes.com, 31 July 2026
Definition of unwarranted

Browse Nearby Words

underwrote
undeserved
undeserving
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Undeserved.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/undeserved. Accessed 9 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of anecdote

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

'Sneaked' or 'Snuck': Which is correct?

Why does English have so many silent letters?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Words of the Week - Aug. 7

How long is a jiffy?
See More

Popular

See More

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
fridge-magnet-letters
Drop a Letter Quiz August 2026 Drop a letter from a word to make a totally diffe...
See All