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undeserving

undeserving

7 5.5
Not worthy of help, reward, or kindness
  • adjective
  • /ˌʌndɪˈzɜrvɪŋ/
translation icon : indigno
  • She felt undeserving of the praise she received for her hard work.
  • the undeserving poor
  • an undeserving group

I think in many ways I feel highly undeserving of the things I've gotten.

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Examples

  • I'm one of the undeserving poor, that's what I am.

  • Pakistan has proved that it is undeserving of this status and its benefits.

    Blog text (26)
  • But the Lord knew how undeserving she was.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • I think in many ways I feel highly undeserving of the things I've gotten.

  • We are all people worthy of love and undeserving of judgment from strangers.

    Blog text (28)
  • He insisted that he was undeserving of such an exalted position.

  • Gordon examines the more general construction of single mothers as an undeserving group worthy of pity but little else.

    Academic text (1999)
  • Quadagno and Gordon examine how welfare recipients are socially constructed as "undeserving" groups.

    Academic text (1999)
  • For those who deal in straightforward heroes and villains—the deserving and undeserving—there is no dilemma here.

    Academic text (2006)
  • He thought he was undeserving of their kindness after what he had done.

Synonyms

unworthy
vsundeserving
31 4.5

Does not deserve respect or help

focuses more on not deserving help, reward, or sympathy

Antonyms

34 3.5

Worthy of help, praise, or punishment

How Deserving

admirable
87 3.3
worthy
530 2.8
undeserving
7 5.5
unworthy
  • Offensive
20 5.4

Surface Forms

undeserving positive

Morphology

undeserving = deserving (transparent) = un + deserve + ing

The negating prefix 'un-' is added to the adjective 'deserving' to yield the straightforward meaning 'not deserving'.

Etymology

Undeserving is made of the prefix un- meaning 'not' and deserve, which is like 'earn' or 'be worthy of' and is like the word serve or service. So undeserving means not 'having earned' help, reward, or sympathy.