undeserve

C2+ Topic:Actions & Processes

US /ˌʌndɪˈzɜːrv/ UK /ˌʌndɪˈzɜːv/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

verb
to fail to merit or be worthy of something

He felt he did undeserve such generous and unearned praise.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Opposites

deserve merit earn

Word family

Derived forms undeserved undeserving

Related forms deserve deserving

Etymology

From un- ('not') + deserve, from Old French deservir ('to deserve, merit'), from Latin deservire ('to serve zealously'), from de- (intensive) + servire ('to serve').

un- Old English deservire Latin servire Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Actions & Processes

External links

# undeserve

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** verb
**IPA (US):** /ˌʌndɪˈzɜːrv/
**IPA (UK):** /ˌʌndɪˈzɜːv/

## Meanings
1. to fail to merit or be worthy of something

## Examples
- He felt he did undeserve such generous and unearned praise.

## Antonyms
- deserve
- merit
- earn

## Derived Forms
- undeserved
- undeserving

## Related Forms
- deserve
- deserving

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: un-
- Root: deservire
- Root: servire

## Etymology
From un- ('not') + deserve, from Old French deservir ('to deserve, merit'), from Latin deservire ('to serve zealously'), from de- (intensive) + servire ('to serve').

## AI Etymology
Undeserve is from un- ('not') + deserve, from Old French deservir ('to deserve, merit'), from Latin deservire ('to serve zealously'), from de- (intensive) + servire ('to serve'). Important recorded forms include un- (Old English), deservire (Latin), and servire (Latin). Morphologically, the un- element marks negation, reversal, removal, or deprivation, while the base supplies the action, quality, or state being denied or undone. The modern sense continues the older lexical line without requiring a separate origin. In current use it covers to fail to merit or be worthy of something. The wider family includes derived forms such as undeserved and undeserving and related words such as deserve and deserving.

## Topics
- Actions & Processes

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