undeserved

adjective

un·​de·​served ˌən-di-ˈzərvd 

: not earned or deserved : not justified or merited

undeserved criticism/praise

an undeserved reputation

undeservedly

ˌən-di-ˈzər-vəd-lē 

-ˈzərvd-lē

adverb

a plan that has been undeservedly criticized

undeservedness

ˌən-di-ˈzər-vəd-nəs 

-ˈzərvd-nəs

noun

Examples of undeserved in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

But that can breed undeserved complacency, according to independent testing. —Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 25 Sep. 2024

My goal has always been to better care for the vulnerable and undeserved community that raised me. —Dalton Ross, EW.com, 4 Sep. 2024

Former attorney general Eric Holder, a leading member of the team behind that failure, took a break from picking Harris’s running mate last week to take an undeserved victory lap in the media. —The Editors, National Review, 5 Aug. 2024

And what would really blow their un-American minds is that, despite America’s not undeserved reputation for rampant materialism, none of this is about money. —Matt Thompson, SPIN, 18 July 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined above