unworthy

American  

[uhn-wur-thee] / ʌnˈwɜr ði /

adjective

unworthier, unworthiest

1. not worthy; lacking worth or excellence.

   Antonyms:

   commendable, admirable, deserving

2. beneath the dignity (usually followed byof ).

   behavior unworthy of a king.

3. of a kind not worthy (often followed byof ).

   Synonyms:

   ignoble, unsuitable, unfit, unseemly

4. not of adequate merit or character.

   Synonyms:

   ignoble, unsuitable, unfit, unseemly

5. not commendable or creditable.

6. not deserving.

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noun

plural

unworthies

1. an unworthy person.

unworthy British  

/ ʌnˈwɜːðɪ /

adjective

1. (often foll by of) not deserving or worthy

2. (often foll by of) beneath the level considered befitting (to)

   that remark is unworthy of you

3. lacking merit or value

4. (of treatment) not warranted or deserved

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Other Word Forms

• self-unworthiness noun
• unworthily adverb
• unworthiness noun

Etymology

Origin of unworthy

Middle English word dating back to 1200–50; un- ¹, worthy

Example Sentences

A second friendly defeat in four days was no calamity since it came on the back of an admirable performance, unworthy of booing.

From BBC

Alas, Clare was forced to face the harrowing reality: Just as in his short, lonely life, he was unworthy of affection.

From Literature

The lesson from these examples isn’t that protecting children online is misguided or an unworthy goal.

From The Wall Street Journal

The low-grade layer—which the previous owners hit and deemed unworthy of mining—was the type of primary sulfide ore Rio seeks to unlock with Nuton.

From The Wall Street Journal

The premise here isn’t that all empathy is wrong, only empathy for those deemed unworthy.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• inappropriate
• ineligible
• shameful
• undeserving
• unfit
• unsuitable