unearned
adjective/ʌnˈɜrnd/
Frequency rank: #17,042 most common English word
Meaning
Not deserved or worked for; received without effort or merit.
Example sentence
He felt guilty about receiving unearned praise for work he had not actually done.
Synonyms & related words
- undeserved
- unmerited
- unjustified
- gratuitous
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