Unmeriting

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Characterized by lacking justification or deservingness, failing to merit recognition or reward, and not demonstrating qualities worthy of approval
2. Exhibiting an absence of due acknowledgment or entitlement, being without qualities that justify commendation or acceptance, and showing insufficiency in merit
3. Describing something that does not warrant acclaim or honor, lacking sufficient reasons to be considered deserving, and falling short of criteria for recognition

Etymology: "Unmeriting" is simply the prefix "un-", meaning "not," attached to "meriting," the present participle of "merit." The verb "merit" comes from Latin "meritum," "reward" or "desert," from "merere," "to earn," so the root idea is earning something through one's conduct or effort. Adding "un-" reverses that sense: a thing that is unmeriting has not earned the regard, reward or approval it might otherwise receive. The pairing is a regular English pattern, with "un-" joined to participles and adjectives formed from existing verbs, so the word needs no special coinage to make sense. Its meaning follows directly from its parts: "merit" supplies the idea of deserving, and "un-" flips it to the idea of not deserving.

Synonyms: undeserving, unworthy, undeserved, inadequate, unjustified

Antonyms: deserving, worthy, merited, justified